Last week witnessed beginning of a unique partnership between India-USA-South Korea with launch of a trilateral dialogue to bolster cooperation in areas of semiconductor supply chains, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence and quantum computing that could create of group of like-minded democracies amid China’s soaring ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. On the other hand China stated that it needs a fully integrated national computing network if it is to forge ahead in the global race for high technology and retool its economy for innovation. Besides, a new textbook to be taught at Chinese universities cites political division in the West to justify Beijing’s ethnic integration policies, whose focus has shifted from minorities to “all ethnic groups”. Meanwhile, tensions flared up when North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on March 18 that likely fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. USA has assured to safeguard South Korea amid provocation from the North. In Japan PM Fumio Kishida stated he does not plan to dissolve the House of Representatives before punishing lawmakers of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party involved in a political funds scandal. Meanwhile in Thailand, the country’s Defence Minister who came from a non-military background, has advocated a compromising formula between the military and the civilian govt. In a remarkable achievement VinFast has enlisted a company in Ghana to distribute its electric vehicles in Africa. And Singapore for the first time is mulling with idea of obtaining electricity from the nuclear energy.
India, US, South Korea explore cooperation in tech sector including AI
Business Standard | 14th March 2024
Ways to bolster cooperation in areas of semiconductor supply chains, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, critical minerals and production of military hardware figured prominently at a trilateral dialogue among India, the US and South Korea. According to a readout by the US, the meeting on March 13 in Seoul was the first such trilateral dialogue among the three nations.
3 ballistic missiles fired by N. Korea, fall outside Japan’s EEZ
Kyodo News | 18th March 2024
North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Monday (March 18) that likely fell outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, prompting Tokyo to lodge a stern protest, the Japanese government said.
Blinken says U.S. will always work with S. Korea against N.K. provocations
Yonhap | 18th March 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday (March 18) the United States will always work with South Korea to firmly respond to North Korea’s provocations, according to the presidential office, after Pyongyang fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea. Blinken made the remark during a meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol on the sidelines of the third Summit for Democracy hosted by South Korea this week.
No plan to call election before scandal-hit figures punished: PM Kishida
Kyodo News | 18th March 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday (March 18) he does not plan to dissolve the House of Representatives before punishing lawmakers of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party involved in a political funds scandal. In a parliamentary committee session, Kishida, who heads the LDP, said he will reprimand the lawmakers, including heavyweights who belong to the party’s biggest faction formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, before the end of the ongoing Diet session through June.
Thailand’s civilian defense minister seeks ‘gradual’ military reform
Nikkei Asia | 18th March 2024
Thailand’s government should “compromise” with the military amid its ongoing involvement in politics, Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang said, suggesting that avoiding conflict over its role will be a priority for Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration. Sutin — the country’s first defense minister to come from outside the military without concurrently serving as prime minister — spoke with Nikkei on Thursday (March 14) at a ministry facility outside Bangkok.
Vietnam’s VinFast enters Africa EV market via Ghana distributor
Nikkei Asia | 18th March 2024
VinFast has enlisted a company in Ghana to distribute its electric vehicles, offering the Vietnamese manufacturer a potential early-mover advantage as it looks to enter a fourth continent. The automaker owned by Vietnam’s richest man said late Friday that it will sell “electric cars, e-scooters, e-bikes and electric buses throughout Ghana and West Africa” through a deal with the Jospong Group. VinFast wants its EVs in 50 markets by year’s end and has made deals in six countries in the past month alone to achieve that target.
China is spending billions on a national computing network. Its data chief says why
South China Morning Post | 17th March 2024
China needs a fully integrated national computing network if it is to forge ahead in the global race for high technology and retool its economy for innovation, according to the head of the country’s new data regulator. In an article in Communist Party journal Qiushi on the weekend, National Data Administration (NDA) chief Liu Liehong said computing power had become “the main arena of scientific and technological competition” among major countries rushing to take the lead in the industries of the future.
South China Morning Post | 18th March 2024
A new textbook to be taught at Chinese universities cites political division in the West to justify Beijing’s ethnic integration policies, whose focus has shifted from minorities to “all ethnic groups”. The book, An Introduction to the Community for the Chinese Nation, was published in February and will soon be listed as a compulsory text at many universities, as is the case with courses on Marxism and Xi Jinping Thought.
More foreign students set to be eligible for Japan government scholarships
The Japan Times | 17th March 2023
The government plans to expand the scope of foreign university students eligible for its scholarships from April to provide more academic opportunities to children of the country’s growing number of foreign workers, according to officials. The education ministry is set to include in the target students who are residing in the country with their parents under a “dependent” visa on condition they have completed education through elementary, junior high and high school level in Japan and intend to work and stay in the country after graduating from university, they said.
S’pore studying safety of deploying nuclear energy in small, densely populated areas
Strait Times | 18th March 2024
With limited options for renewable energy, Singapore is not ruling out the use of nuclear energy to cut emissions from its power sector while safeguarding the nation’s energy security – and the Republic is learning from the best minds in the field as part of the decision-making process.
