China
Beijing confirms Trump will visit China next year. China’s foreign ministry announced that U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to China in 2026, following talks with President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in South Korea. Trump earlier said the visit would take place in April. The meeting underscores ongoing efforts to stabilize relations after recent trade and security negotiations. Colleen Howe, Reuters, October 30
Trump, Xi agree to pause dueling port fees that disrupted trade. The United States and China agreed to suspend mutual port fees for one year, lifting $3.2 billion in annual charges that disrupted global shipping. The fees, part of the Section 301 penalties, targeted maritime and shipbuilding sectors. The pause follows a Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea aimed at easing trade tensions. Lisa Baertlein and David Lawder, Reuters, October 30
Trump shaves China tariffs in deal with Xi on fentanyl, rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese goods from 57% to 47% after China pledged to curb fentanyl exports and pause rare earth export controls for a year. The deal includes Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans, energy, and a TikTok ownership shift, while suspending new tech and maritime restrictions. Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters, October 30
Japan
LDP to propose economic measures by mid-November. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will present a plan by mid-November to address inflation, boost crisis-related investment, and reinforce defense and diplomacy. Policy Research Council Chairman Takayuki Kobayashi pledged to include regional input. With LDP in the minority, Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki said compromise with opposition may be necessary. The Japan Times, October 30.
South Korea
Lee set to host APEC summit amid global trade turmoil. President Lee Jae Myung will open the APEC summit in Gyeongju, bringing together leaders of 21 economies to address protectionism and strengthen trade ties. Session 1 will focus on building a more connected, resilient world. Lee will also host a working lunch and welcome dinner with business leaders and international officials. Kim Eun-jung, Yonhap News Agency, October 31
S. Korea, Canada broaden military info sharing with new pact. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a new agreement expanding bilateral military information sharing beyond government agencies. The deal supports defense procurement and industrial collaboration, with South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean among finalists in Canada’s submarine bid. Talks also led to a verbal agreement to form a defense consultation body. Son Ji-hyoung, The Korea Herald, October 30
South Korea’s Lee, Japan’s Takaichi to strengthen ties, Lee’s office says. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to deepen bilateral relations during their first in-person meeting at the APEC summit. Both leaders highlighted shared interests and emphasized forward-looking cooperation. Historical disputes were not raised. Lee presented Takaichi with Korean seaweed and cosmetics as a gesture of goodwill. Ju-Min Park and Joyce Lee, Reuters, October 30
North Korea
Pyongyang enacts sweeping transportation controls that violate international human rights standards. North Korea’s new Railroad Passenger Transportation Act bars citizens from boarding trains without a travel pass and ID, imposes fines for noncompliance, and requires separate station tickets even for visitors. The law also mandates propaganda training and punishes violations with forced labor, drawing condemnation for breaching global human rights norms. Mun Dong Hui, Daily NK, October 30
Kim Jong Un orders ideological crackdown on citizens hoping for outside help. North Korea has launched a nationwide campaign to enforce its self-reliance doctrine, banning reliance on foreign aid and rejecting any negotiation for sanctions relief. Orders were issued to security agencies to suppress pro-external sentiments, enforce propaganda, and boost domestic production. Kim’s September speech was cited as a directive to reject foreign dependency. Jeong Seo-yeong, Daily NK, October 31
Thailand
Julapun Amornvivat expected to lead Pheu Thai. Former deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat is likely to become the next leader of the Pheu Thai Party following Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s resignation. Party members favored Julapun for his economic expertise and generational appeal over veteran politician Chaturon Chaisang. Leadership elections will take place Friday as the party prepares for the March 2026 general election. Aekarach Sattaburuth, Bangkok Post, October 30
EC ‘ready’ to hold election, Sawaeng says. Thailand’s Election Commission announced its readiness to conduct a general election and two national referendums on March 29, 2026, if confirmed by the government. The commission requested a 75-day preparation period and urged clarity on the number of referendum questions to ensure adequate logistics, education, and public understanding. Bangkok Post, October 31
Myanmar
Movie director, actors arrested for scoffing at election propaganda film. Myanmar’s junta arrested director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut, and comedian Ohn Daing for mocking a state propaganda film aired ahead of the regime’s planned election. They face charges under the Election Protection Law, which allows for severe penalties. Authorities accused them of undermining public trust and warned critics of further punishment. Phoe Tar, The Irrawaddy, October 30
Myanmar junta announces elections in Karen State conflict zone. Myanmar’s military regime scheduled elections in Papun Township for January 11, despite losing control of 34 out of 35 village tracts to resistance forces. Junta troops, backed by allied militias, remain isolated in Kamarmaung amid ongoing clashes. Locals and the Karen National Union dismissed the move as illegitimate and logistically unfeasible. The Irrawaddy, October 30
Laos
Laos, China strengthen border trade, investment cooperation. Laos and China agreed to boost trade and investment in border regions during the 10th Laos-China Trade Cooperation Exchange Meeting in Oudomxay. Officials adopted a 2026 cooperation plan focused on agriculture, SME promotion, and border security. A new MoU supports joint exhibitions, cattle breeding, and anti-smuggling coordination to improve livelihoods in northern provinces. Vientiane Times, October 31
Cambodia
Cambodia urges Thailand to promptly release its troops as heavy weapons are removed from border. Cambodia renewed calls for Thailand to release 18 detained soldiers in line with the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration. Though landmine clearance and weapon withdrawals have begun, Thailand continues to tie the troops’ release to broader compliance. The Red Cross confirmed the soldiers are alive and in good health. Khmer Times, October 31
Philippines
Japan, Philippines sign landmark grant for AI-powered TB screening in remote areas. The Philippine Department of Health and the Japanese Embassy signed a grant agreement to deploy 20 FujiFilm ultraportable X-ray machines with AI capabilities to underserved regions. The battery-operated devices will enhance TB detection and treatment in rural communities, addressing the country’s high burden of cases and undiagnosed infections. Allen Limos, The Manila Times, October 30
Philippine Air Force gets 5 additional new S-70i Black Hawk helicopters. The Philippine Air Force will formally accept five new S-70i Black Hawk helicopters on November 6 following successful inspection. This fourth batch is part of a 32-unit, ₱32 billion deal with Poland’s PZL Mielec under the military modernization program. The aircraft are valued for their speed, versatility, and mission reliability. The Manila Times, October 30
Indonesia
Indonesia, Malaysia to form joint immigration enforcement task force. Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to establish a Joint Immigration Enforcement Task Force (JIETF) to boost border security, intelligence sharing, and law enforcement cooperation. Officials also pledged to address cross-border crime, improve repatriation processes, and upgrade infrastructure coordination under the Border Crossing Agreement. ANTARA News, October 30
Malaysia
Anwar: Malaysia’s balanced ties with U.S., China make it bridge between economic blocs. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia’s neutral foreign policy has made it a strategic link between major global economies. At the APEC summit, he emphasized inclusive growth, digital development, and sustainable cooperation, and received the ABAC 2025 report as input for ongoing policy talks. Malay Mail, October 31
Singapore
Singapore, Chile and New Zealand launch negotiations for new green trade pact. Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand began talks on a new environmental trade agreement to build on the 2020 Green Economy Agreement. The updated pact will address carbon leakage, promote sustainable supply chains, and include ASEAN collaboration. Officials aim to conclude negotiations by end-2025 and invite other countries to join. Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times, October 30
Taiwan
Taiwan warns concerns of U.S. tariffs’ impact on economic growth, central bank minutes show. Taiwan’s central bank kept interest rates steady at 2% but warned that U.S. tariffs could undermine export performance and influence future monetary policy. Board members cited strong tech and AI growth but flagged risks tied to Section 232 tariffs and inflation uncertainties driven by energy costs and weather events. Liang-sa Loh and Faith Hung, Reuters, October 30
Taiwan, still without a tariff deal, talks trade with U.S. at APEC. Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator met with a top U.S. official during the APEC summit but gave no details, as Taiwan continues to face a 20% tariff on exports to the U.S. Semiconductors remain exempt. Taiwan rejected a 50-50 chip production proposal but is considering a broader high-tech partnership. Eduardo Baptista, Ben Blanchard and Tomasz Janowski, Reuters, October 30
India
India’s defence minister set to meet U.S. counterpart Hegseth in Malaysia, officials say. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit to address strained ties after Trump doubled tariffs to 50%. Talks will cover arms purchases, including P-8I aircraft, and a new defense framework, possibly paving the way for a bilateral visit. Shivam Patel, Reuters, October 30
India says companies have licences to import rare earth magnets from China. India’s foreign ministry confirmed that several companies have received licences to import rare earth magnets from China, signaling a slight easing of Beijing’s export controls. The announcement follows China’s delay of new restrictions after a Trump-Xi deal. Rare earths remain a strategic leverage point as global firms rush to secure supplies. Shivam Patel and Surbhi Misra, Reuters, October 30
Uzbekistan
Uzbek Parliament ratifies border agreement with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan’s parliament approved a trilateral agreement finalizing the junction point of its borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Signed in March in Khujand, the deal marks a shift toward regional cooperation and peaceful border resolution. Lawmakers say it will enhance trade, infrastructure, and cross-border ties while raising Central Asia’s international profile. Sadokat Jalolova, The Times of Central Asia, October 30
East Asia
Trump and Xi Turn Back the Clock—While China Flexes Its Muscles. A hundred-minute meeting produced a temporary truce, reversing recent tit-for-tat moves and paving the way for a planned April visit to Beijing. Outcomes reportedly include a ten-point tariff cut to a 47 percent overall rate, a one-year pause of the “50 percent rule,” Chinese delays to rare-earth controls, resumed soybean purchases, mutual port-fee freezes, and a U.S. pause on a shipbuilding probe. Analysts judge Beijing leveraged coercive tools to secure concessions and strengthen its position despite unresolved structural disputes. Broader talks may follow, spanning export controls, technology access, investment, and regional flashpoints. David Sacks, Council on Foreign Relations, October 30
America and China Can Have a Normal Relationship. Despite renewed trade clashes and controls, both governments stabilized ties after crises, creating conditions for an evolution from adversarial rivalry to managed competition. Trump’s approach realigns U.S. pressure from China-first to broader targets, while deglobalization drives both sides to reduce asymmetric dependence and rebuild balanced interdependence. Recalibration would bound competition, channel investment into mutually acceptable sectors such as Chinese EV and battery manufacturing in the United States, and limit risky military operations by relying more on satellite intelligence. Clarity on Taiwan would pair Washington’s opposition to independence with Beijing’s reduction of exercises and expansion of exchanges. Parallel nationalist projects can coexist if intensity is regulated, producing a cool relationship rather than perpetual escalation. Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, October 30
America and China have only holstered their trade weapons. Trump and Xi signaled a pause rather than a resolution: China will postpone new rare-earth export curbs and resume U.S. soybean purchases while Washington will stay steep tariffs and step back from immediate new export-control measures on subsidiaries of blacklisted firms. Both capitals profess no appetite for full decoupling, but the truce is sketchy, temporary, and subject to annual review. The relationship remains volatile because penalties can be reimposed at short notice, and structural distrust endures. Beijing’s resilience and capacity to retaliate in vulnerable sectors, coupled with Trump’s transactional approach, suggest renewed clashes are likely. For now, both sides judge tolerance cheaper than confrontation, keeping economic ties intact while rivalry simmers. The Economist, October 30
In China Truce on Tariffs and Rare Earths, National Security Controls Are Bargaining Chip. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed to roll back recent escalations: partial tariff relief, a pause on new shipping fees, China’s suspension of expanded rare-earths controls, renewed soybean purchases, and stronger enforcement against fentanyl-precursor shipments. The United States also paused for one year a rule extending the Commerce Department’s entity-list reach to majority-owned subsidiaries, a change former officials called a break with precedent. The White House rejected claims of trading security for commerce, while companies welcomed calmer conditions. Analysts highlighted Beijing’s leverage in minerals and strains inside Washington’s policymaking. Wirescreen estimated the “50 percent rule” swelled China-related entities from about 1,300 to more than 20,000, magnifying compliance burdens and political blowback. Ana Swanson, The New York Times, October 30
Trump and Xi Step Back From the Brink—for Now. The United States and China announced a one-year pause shaped by a leaders’ handshake rather than a binding instrument: the average U.S. tariff will drop from 57 percent to 47 percent, Beijing will resume soybean purchases, both sides will shelve a port-fee spat, and new rare-earth controls will be deferred. Taiwan was not discussed. Specifics remain scant and reversible; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cited 12 million tons of soybeans in the coming months plus 25 million tons annually for three years, similar to recent levels. China hawks curbed immediate approval of Nvidia’s B30A exports, though lobbying continues. The summit enables further talks while leaving fundamental dependencies, leverage, and volatility intact. James Palmer, Foreign Policy, October 30
Why Are China’s Generals So Quiet as Xi Purges Them? Xi Jinping has removed successive top officers, including Central Military Commission vice chair He Weidong, political commissar Miao Hua, former defense ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, and earlier CMC vice chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, without institutional pushback, reflecting a force built as a party army rather than a national military. The doctrine that “the party commands the gun,” enforced through political commissars at every echelon, binds loyalty to the CMC chairman. Reforms since 2015 replaced seven regions with five theater commands and dissolved four general departments into 15 CMC organs, concentrating authority vertically. Anti-corruption drives, ideological discipline, and ritualized “warning education” campaigns normalize fear, making organized resistance structurally unthinkable. Deng Yuwen, Foreign Policy, October 30
Admitting the need for foreigners, Takaichi first politicizes migrant issues. Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, formed a coalition with Nippon Ishin and created a cabinet post on migrant and foreigner policy, appointing Kimi Onoda, a hard-right figure with a strong online following. Takaichi acknowledged labor shortages and tourism’s importance but vowed tougher action against rule-breaking by “some foreigners,” signaling a strategy that treats migration as a symbol of a “strong Japan.” The change departs from prior efforts to depoliticize migration despite rising dependency on foreign workers; the number of migrant workers tripled in a decade to 2.3 million in 2024. Governors issued the “Aomori Declaration” against xenophobia, yet polarization risks deepening and integration policy remains underdeveloped, unsettling current and prospective workers. Sachi Takaya, Nikkei Asia, October 30
South Korea’s Industrial Policy for the New Space Economy. South Korea is reorganizing its space sector around a three-hub cluster. Sacheon for satellites, Daejeon for research and talent, and Goheung for launch in order to convert state–industry coordination into immediately competitive capability. The model targets three hurdles: instant entry into global markets, concurrent mastery across advanced technologies, and network effects that favor early incumbents. KASA commits ₩380.8 billion through 2030 to new centers that commercialize launch systems, scale satellite production, and expand workforce training. Early rollout reveals coordination frictions such as geographic separation and bureaucratic rivalry, which risk diluting the spillovers seen in earlier industrial hubs. Defense–space convergence underpins the approach, aligning commercial competitiveness with alliance integration. Darcie Draudt-Véjares and Kaylin Kim, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, October 30
South Korea’s migrant workers trapped in a legal cage. The Employment Permit System restricts job mobility: Article 25 allows only three employer changes within a three-year term, with limited extensions and transfers tied to narrow conditions. In 2024, foreign workers totaled about 1.01 million; 303,000 held E-9 visas under the EPS, with substantial remittances such as US$853.75 million from Korea to the Philippines. Safety outcomes are uneven: non-citizens comprise 3.5 percent of the workforce but 13 percent of workplace deaths; claims rose 4.5 percent, concentrated in construction and manufacturing. Policy changes expanded E-7-4 skilled visas to 35,000, and most undocumented residents are short-term overstayers, not former E-9 holders. Recommended reforms include easing transfers and ratifying ILO Conventions 97 and 143. Eojin Park, East Asia Forum, October 30
Can Kuomintang’s new chairwoman unite the party and reconcile the China question? On October 18, Cheng Li-wun won the KMT leadership with 50.1 percent, beating Hau Lung-bin and Lo Chih-chiang after a short-video campaign elevated her profile. Beijing applauded with Xi Jinping sending congratulations, matching Cheng’s pro-China positioning amid claims of PRC-linked amplification online. The vote exposed aging membership and identity divides, with two-thirds over 65 and stronger attachment to Chinese identity. Strategic paths diverge: a visible pro-China pivot that collides with mainstream Taiwanese opinion, boosting President Lai or a backstage role enabling a KMT–TPP coalition and smoother 2026 local races. Friction with Lu Shiow-yen remains a risk in nominations. Internal allegations of Chinese interference further deepened rifts among party factions. Yoshiyuki Ogasawara, ThinkChina, October 30
Southeast Asia
To Lam’s Foreign Policy Leadership in the “Era of National Rise”. Since August 2024, To Lam has driven a “Streamlining Revolution” that cut ministries from 22 to 17, merged 63 provinces into 34, removed district administrations, and targets a 20% downsizing while empowering private enterprise. In January 2025, Resolution 59 elevated external affairs to a “crucial and regular task” and centralized policy execution under the Foreign Ministry to accelerate coordination. He has paired this with activist economic diplomacy, visiting 16 countries, clinching technology, infrastructure, and energy initiatives, and pushing R&D localization with South Korea. Early major-power balancing included rail and connectivity deals with China and a tariff arrangement with Washington that lowered threatened duties to 20%. Hoang Thi Ha and Pham Thi Phuong Thao, FULCRUM, October 30
Oceania
Australia’s fragile multicultural consensus under threat. Anti-immigration rallies in late August and mid-October exposed sharp divides over migration, national identity, and social cohesion. Political reactions diverged: Labor adopted a defensive stance on intake, some Liberals turned toward far-right positions, and One Nation’s primary vote reached 12 percent, above the Greens’ 11 percent. Since the 1970s, governments have recast multiculturalism from diversity and migrant rights to cohesion, security, and “shared values.” In June 2025, Canberra established an Office for Multicultural Affairs and elevated the minister to Cabinet, yet implementation gaps persist. The National Anti-Racism Framework’s 63 recommendations still await a governmental response, highlighting an unresolved strategy against far-right momentum. Wanning Sun, East Asia Forum, October 30