China
China stands firm on strategic ties with North Korea, Xi Jinping tells Kim Jong-un in Beijing. Xi Jinping urged deeper strategic coordination to safeguard “mutual interests,” vowing China’s commitment “will not change” despite shifting geopolitics. In their first sit-down in six years, Kim Jong-un praised China’s “impartial position” and pledged closer cooperation after appearing with Vladimir Putin at Beijing’s Victory Day parade. Dewey Sim, South China Morning Post, September 4
China is willing to continue to carry out cooperation in various fields with Russia: Chinese FM on President Putin’s visit to China. China said it will deepen broad cooperation with Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s four-day visit for the SCO summit and Victory Day events. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun cited talks and a tea meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin, plus a trilateral with Mongolia, to signal shared WWII legacy and Security Council roles. Global Times, September 4
Japan
Trump signs order formally implementing U.S.-Japan trade deal. Trump signed an executive order implementing July’s agreement, cutting tariffs on Japanese cars to 15% from 27.5%, effective within seven days. The order applies “reciprocal” duty caps: no levies above 15% and a 15% ceiling on items. It coincided with negotiator Ryosei Akazawa’s Washington visit and follows Japan’s pledge of up to $550 billion in U.S. investments. Kyodo News, September 5
South Korea
Special counsel searches PPP floor leader's office in martial law probe. A special counsel team searched the People Power Party floor leader’s office over allegations that former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho blocked a vote to lift President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law on Dec. 3 by shifting meeting venues at Yoon’s request. Investigators say Yoon discussed martial law since March; Choo denies wrongdoing. Kim Na-young, Yonhap News Agency, September 4
Nat'l Assembly speaker asks China's Zhao to 'prudently' handle Yellow Sea issue. Speaker Woo Won-shik asked China’s Zhao Leji to handle Yellow Sea issues “prudently,” citing tensions after Beijing erected steel towers in the Provisional Maritime Zone. Meeting in Beijing, Woo said his parade attendance signals Seoul’s intent to advance ties, and urged continued “strategic cooperative partnership.” Yi Wonju, Yonhap News Agency, September 4
North Korea
Kim tells Xi that North Korea will support China’s interests, KCNA reports. Kim Jong Un told Xi Jinping that North Korea will continue to support China in protecting sovereignty, territory and development interests, according to KCNA. The leaders discussed strengthening cooperation, safeguarding common interests, and expanding high-level visits and communication. Xi described the countries as neighbors, friends and comrades sharing one destiny. KCNA said Kim left Beijing Thursday. Joyce Lee, Reuters, September 4
North Korea orders trial deployment of nuclear underwater drones in East Sea. North Korea’s Central Military Commission ordered select East Sea Fleet squadrons to begin trials of the Haeil nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, with an Academy of National Defense Science lab collaborating since Aug. 27. The torpedo-type system, 13 meters long and 1.5 meters in diameter, targets ports and anchorages. Jeong Tae Joo, Daily NK, September 4
Thailand
Thailand's influential ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra leaves country amid turmoil. Thaksin Shinawatra flew out of Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport at 7:17 p.m. Thursday on a private jet amid unrest as Pheu Thai faces a leadership challenge and parliament votes for prime minister Friday. A Supreme Court ruling next week could send him to jail, depending on whether hospital time counts as served. Pheu Thai will nominate Chaikasem Nitisiri against Anutin Charnvirakul. Panarat Thepgumpanat, Reuters, September 4
Thaksin said immigration delay forced him to head for Dubai. Thaksin Shinawatra said an immigration delay at Bangkok’s airport kept his flight on the ground for nearly two hours, forcing him to divert from a planned medical trip to Singapore. Unable to reach Seletar Airport before its 10 p.m. curfew, his pilot rerouted to Dubai, where his longtime bone and lung doctors practice. He pledged to return to Thailand by Sept. 8 and hear a Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 9. Bangkok Post, September 4
Vietnam
NA Standing Committee to convene 49th session over 5.5 working days. Vietnam’s National Assembly Standing Committee will hold its 49th session over 5.5 working days in three phases: Sept. 5; Sept. 12 morning; and Sept. 22–23 and Sept. 25 afternoon to Sept. 27 morning, with Sept. 27 afternoon as backup. Lawmakers will review revisions to laws on judicial records, civil aviation, bankruptcy, e-commerce, and thrift and anti-wastefulness; scrutinize oversight and anti-corruption reports; and decide 2025 budget reallocations and other fiscal adjustments. Vietnam News, September 4
Myanmar
Myanmar’s civilian govt urges China to drop support for junta and poll plan. Myanmar’s National Unity Government asked Beijing to withdraw recognition of junta, stop calling Min Aung Hlaing “acting president,” and refuse monitors for elections slated December–January. The letter warned hosting him risks backlash and cited economic collapse, CMEC disruptions, and scam hubs defrauding Chinese nationals. It urged China to back peace, not legitimation. The Irrawaddy, September 4
Philippines
Marcos wants subpoena power for body investigating flood projects. Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is creating an independent commission with subpoena power to investigate irregularities in flood control projects from the past three years, with an executive order being finalized. Marcos ordered the inquiry after personally confirming some projects were substandard or nonexistent, and stronger enforcement. Catherine S. Valente, The Manila Times, September 4
PH has chance of getting UNSC seat - Manalo. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lobby for the Philippines’ bid for a 2027–2028 nonpermanent United Nations Security Council seat at this month’s UN General Assembly, former foreign secretary Enrique Manalo said. He cited outreach to African and Latin American states and voiced optimism during a Commission on Appointments hearing on his nomination as UN envoy, later confirmed. Bernadette E. Tamayo, The Manila Times, September 4
Indonesia
Indonesian student protesters meet ministers, set out complaints. Student groups met two senior ministers in Jakarta after a week of unrest over MPs’ housing allowances and police tactics, pressing for detainees’ release and accountability. State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government would study their demands. No concessions were announced after the meeting, according to participants. Stefanno Sulaiman and Ananda Teresia, Reuters, September 4
Taiwan
U.S., Taiwanese defense officials met in Alaska last week, official says. U.S. and Taiwanese defense officials held talks in Anchorage last week, a U.S. official said, a move likely to irk Beijing. Jed Royal, the top Indo-Pacific policymaker at the U.S. Defense Department, met a senior Taiwanese national security adviser. China views Taiwan as the most sensitive topic in U.S.-China ties and has not renounced force. Idrees Ali, Reuters, September 4
East Asia
Beijing rides US stablecoin wave to global shores. The GENIUS Act creates federal rules for dollar-pegged tokens, catalyzing private issuers and enabling global interoperability with U.S. platforms. Chinese fintechs are positioned to exploit third-party hubs, especially Hong Kong and Singapore, to launch dollar-backed coins that plug into Western systems while remaining outside U.S. jurisdiction. Their large Southeast Asian payments footprint provides distribution and control over cross-border flows. Stablecoins promise faster, cheaper transfers and greater inclusion across developing markets, yet they also risk embedding Chinese technical standards and influence into critical rails. Tether’s dominance could face competition from politically neutral, China-aligned issuers. U.S. openness must avoid becoming a backdoor for rival leverage as Web3 governance fragments. Hugh Harsono, East Asia Forum, September 4
China Wants to Integrate AI Into 90 Percent of Its Economy by 2030. It Won’t Work. Beijing’s State Council set targets to diffuse AI across six domains, echoing the Internet+ playbook but facing weaker financial conditions. Venture funding has fallen sharply, regulatory uncertainty is high, and macro headwinds persist. AI deployment requires long, context-specific R&D cycles that risk stalling without patient capital and robust institutional capacity. Government funds may not backfill the shortfall amid slower growth and local debt. U.S. policymakers should discount grand projections and judge practical execution, while still treating China as a constrained yet serious competitor with strengths in areas like energy, 5G, and robotics. Scott Singer, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 4
China’s meeting with India and Russia was about more than Trump. High-profile SCO optics masked persistent fractures. Russia and India maintain historic ties, yet Moscow bristles at New Delhi’s U.S. alignment while India worries about Russia’s dependence on China and its outreach to Pakistan. Beijing and Moscow cooperate but compete regionally; China dislikes appearing in a fixed bloc and watches Russia’s North Korea tilt warily. India-China ties remain brittle after the 2020 Ladakh clashes; disengagement is incomplete, flights are absent, and large forward deployments persist. Talks since August 2025 added mechanisms but only to stabilize, not normalize, relations. The meeting aimed to set a floor under tensions, not signal a bloc versus Washington. Manoj Kewalramani, MERICS, September 4
Late marriage becoming the new norm in South Korea. First-marriage ages reached records in 2024, 31.6 for women and 33.9 for men, showing a change from early-adulthood unions to self-timed choices. The fertility rate hit 0.75, yet policy still targets young couples, missing later-marrying households and those opting out of children. High housing costs, precarious jobs, and stalled wages delay household formation; professional women weigh career penalties from unequal domestic burdens. Marriage persists but evolves: more brides older than grooms, dual-income and often child-free pairings, and wider stratification by income and education. Reform should decouple support from parental age and recognize diverse household types through broader definitions and better data. Goeun Shin, East Asia Forum, September 5
Xi’s world is already here. Beijing’s 3 September military pageant showcased AI-guided loyal wingman drones, a new uncrewed submarine, hypersonic systems, and intercontinental missiles, signaling deterrence near China’s periphery and confidence in domestic production. Xi reiterated modernization timelines to 2027 and 2049, while officer purges exposed leadership churn. An Information Support Force created in April 2024 emphasized network defense and joint operations. Putin and Kim’s presence amplified alignment optics and arms-export messaging, even as UN peacekeeping units projected responsibility. The display aimed to shape perceptions of a multipolar order and to warn that naval incursions would face costs. Alessandro Arduino, ThinkChina, September 4
China’s ascendant power: A new balance, a less certain peace. China staged its largest parade on 3 September at Tiananmen, presenting strategic nuclear forces, hypersonic “carrier killers,” AI-enabled stealth drones, and unmanned submarines alongside a curated “circle of friends.” Xi, Putin, and Kim appeared together, capping a week that included the SCO summit in Tianjin and outreach to Global South partners. The spectacle paired diplomatic signaling with proof of industrial capacity to rapidly produce diversified weaponry, while warning that intervention in the Taiwan Strait would invite risk. Beijing framed itself as defender of elements of the existing order and advocate for developing countries amid U.S. unilateralism. Yang Danxu, ThinkChina, September 4
5-year planning: less mechanism, more ecosystem. The 15th plan will tighten coordination across national development, spatial, regional, and specialized blueprints, aligning them with fiscal and monetary levers in a “1+2+N” macro design. Targets will mix binding ecological constraints with indicative goals on growth and welfare, while national indicators benchmark sectoral performance. Spatial governance will rest on “three zones, three lines,” yet misalignments persist because spatial horizons run 15 years and reach down to townships, unlike five-year socioeconomic cycles. Beijing is advancing a Law on National Development Plans to codify integration and improve accountability for outcomes, addressing centre–local disconnects and fragmented execution. China Policy, September 4
China’s Extreme Weather AI Tools Can Help Countries Adapt. National frameworks for climate adaptation exist, but escalation of heat, flooding, drought, and fires in 2025 shows the need for a scaled, better-coordinated approach that mobilizes technological innovation and empowers local decision-makers. Beijing saw March temperatures reach 30°C earlier than in 66 years, red flood alerts in June across Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou, mid-July heat affecting roughly 200 million residents and driving record electricity demand, and late-July rains causing over 70 deaths and 80,000 evacuations. Disasters in the first half of 2025 impacted more than 23 million people and generated CNY 54.1 billion in losses. Taylah Bland, Asia Society, September 4
Southeast Asia
Chinese Chambers of Commerce: Balancing Malaysia–China Ties and Domestic Divides. Chambers now mediate bilateral commerce and social cohesion as China’s footprint grows. ACCCIM remains the apex body for local chambers; MCCC and MCBC facilitate two-way investment and flagship projects; CECCM represents PRC-backed firms with embassy links; PUCM is Malaysian-led and SME-heavy. Membership spans multinationals to entrepreneurs across manufacturing, construction, IT, healthcare, tourism, and education. Rising xin yimin participation sharpens sensitivities about inequality, prompting outreach such as flood relief for Malay communities and environmental programmes. ACCCIM aligns with Madani goals and the Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024 to support inclusive development. Together these groups can bridge capital and communities if they complement roles, expand B2B networks, and sustain community initiatives, over time, sustainably. Peter T. C. Chang, FULCRUM, September 4
Why the world now looks to Singapore’s stability. International commentary during the 60th National Day season highlighted governance, order, and leadership as core advantages. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, once a critic, praised achievements, leadership depth, and institutions under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Janan Ganesh argued that abundance alone cannot counter populism and cited Marina Bay’s delivery as evidence of capacity grounded in order. Lung Ying-tai also changed stance, lauding social cohesion, ecological planning, and long-horizon risk management, from water to food security. Longer-term critics in Western media have moderated amid U.S. political turbulence, reducing attacks on Singapore’s model. Stability and competent administration reinforce each other and attract global respect. Observers across Asia echoed these themes recently. Lim Jim Koon, ThinkChina, September 4
South Asia
The Mango Flavour: India and ASEAN After a Decade of the Act East Policy. AEP, launched in 2014, elevated engagement beyond trade to political-security and socio-cultural cooperation while affirming ASEAN centrality. Trust has improved, yet visibility lags because exchanges still skew government-to-government; the remedy is youth-focused, modern people-to-people links backed by ASEAN–India funds. Trilateral formats are rising: Japan’s TICAD 9 advanced a “Japan–India–Indian Ocean–Africa” frame, and JICA committed US$40 million to the Aavishkaar Fund to support SMEs in Asian and African supply chains. Trade already exceeds US$100 billion; an updated ATIGA could expand access and ease non-tariff barriers. Tourism flows remain asymmetric, though new direct flights and university partnerships, including IIT Kharagpur’s Malaysia campus, can rebalance movement and study choices. Gurjit Singh, FULCRUM, September 4