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by Ben Dooley Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s vague and ambiguous foreign policy positions have cast a pall of uncertainty over whether American influence will decline in Asia, or if it will remain a force to be reckoned with, analysts say. The real estate tycoon-turned-politician frequently savaged China on the campaign trail, even calling it America’s “enemy” and pledging to stand up to a country he says views the […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — Politicians worldwide took stock Wednesday of Donald Trump’s shock US election victory, with the president-elect winning praise from far-right figures and a cautious welcome from key US allies. EUROPE Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Russia is ready and wants to restore full-fledged relations with the US… We understand that this will not be an easy path considering the unfortunate degradation of relations.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel referenced some of his most controversial […]
by Dan Martin KUALA LUMPUR, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s stunning performance in the US presidential election triggered shock and angst in Asia, where observers fretted over the implications for everything from trade to human rights and climate change. Although the race remained too close to call, Trump has won key states in the nail-biter against Hillary Clinton, building momentum as large numbers of American voters shrugged off concerns over the billionaire’s temperament and […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets retreated Wednesday on fears about an expected US interest rate rise this year, while the pound recovered after suffering a series of losses fuelled by worries over Britain’s EU exit. Samsung Electronics suffered another bout of selling in the morning after announcing Tuesday it would scrap the troubled flagship Galaxy Note 7 over an exploding battery crisis. Shares later staged a partial recovery to end around […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing rapped Washington Tuesday for its interventions in Asia, as tensions grow between the two powers over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and how to handle increasingly erratic North Korea. Speaking at the 7th annual Xiangshan regional defence forum in Beijing, Chang Wanguan, China’s defence minister, levied thinly veiled criticism at recent US involvement in Asia’s trouble spots. Washington has conducted freedom of navigation operations close to artificial islands […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Hundreds of detained communist rebels in the Philippines are likely to be granted amnesty, officials said Monday, after fresh talks aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies. Government negotiators said in a statement they had submitted a proposal to President Rodrigo Duterte to free 434 communists accused of a range of crimes including murder, kidnapping and arson. “The (peace) panel has a commitment that there will be releases. We […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Oil prices fell in Asia Friday as doubts emerged over the long-term success of a surprise OPEC agreement to cut output and stabilise the oversupplied market. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Wednesday stunned traders by announcing plans to trim collective production by around 750,000 barrels per day. Initial euphoria over what would be the first output cut in eight years sent prices soaring six percent but the rally […]
by Martin Abbugao SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — OPEC shocked markets with a deal to cut oil output after kingpin Saudi Arabia allowed bitter rival Iran to be exempted, but analysts warned Thursday the move would not likely have a lasting impact. The cartel’s announcement of the first reduction in eight years sent crude prices surging up to six percent Wednesday, while energy firms in the US and Asia followed suit with huge gains. At the […]
Apple fans in Asia get their hands on the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as the latest models hit the market. (Agence France Presse)
VIENTIANE, Laos (AFP) — Barack Obama, on his final visit to Asia as US president, insisted Tuesday renewed American engagement with the region would endure after he left the White House. “America’s interest in the Asia-Pacific is not new. It’s not a passing fad. It reflects fundamental national interests,” he said in a speech in the Lao capital of Vientiane. The US president is making his 11th and last trip to the Asia-Pacific, seeking to […]
by Andrew BEATTY HANGZHOU, China (AFP) — From the moment Barack Obama touched down in China, his last G20 summit seemed likely to be a tricky one. A kerfuffle over aircraft stairs — or lack of them — and overzealous Chinese apparatchiks drowned out Obama’s efforts to laud his “pivot” to Asia and a deal between Beijing and Washington to jointly ratify a major climate accord. By the end of Obama’s three days in Hangzhou, he […]
by Sarah STEWART HANGZHOU, China (AFP) — G20 leaders met Monday under pressure to reboot the world economy, but a stumbling push for a Syria ceasefire and Asia’s heated territorial disputes intruded on the summit in Hangzhou. There had been hopes of a breakthrough in stemming the Syria conflict after the US said it was close to a deal with Russia. But frantic diplomacy ended in failure, with Moscow accused of backtracking. A US official […]
