Thailand’s parliament convenes Monday with allies of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra back in charge. But at their press conference on Saturday, the 6 coalition partners refused to clearly state whether they would all support Samak Sundaravej, leader of People’s Power Party, as premier.
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Japan proposes language tests for foreigners
Citing further anti-terrorism intiatives, Japan is set to consider requiring long-term foreign residents and workers to have local language ability. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura made the statement Tuesday, with a senior Foreign Ministry official confirming to Radio Australia that the department should pursue the terms of the new requirement quickly. The comments have not been taken well in many quarters of Japan’s expatriot community.
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China reiterates Taiwan threat
The top commander of the United States Pacific Fleet raised concerns on Tuesday over China’s military build-up, and urged Beijing to clarify the intensions of its increasingly-sophisticated armed forces. Admiral Timothy Keating says he urged Beijing to increase transparency in military affairs during talks with government and defence officials, focusing largely on the issue of Taiwan.
Indian PM winds up three day China visit
India’s prime minister Manmohan Singh has been winding up a three-day visit to Beijing, where he’s met with his Chinese counterparts to discuss strengthening economic and trade ties, and defusing long-standing border issues. One of the outcomes of the talks is the lifting of two-way trade to 60-billion dollars by 2010. Some of that trade will pass through the tiny Indian state of Sikkim, where the Natha La Pass through the mountains was once a key part of the Silk Route.
Taiwan’s DPP fails parliamentary test
The ruling party of Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian has suffered a massive loss in the weekend’s parliamentary elections. The nationalist Kuomintang, or KMT, and its smaller allies, captured a total of 86 seats in the 113-member parliament – to just 27 for President Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party. On Saturday night, the president resigned as chairman of his party.
New ASEAN head urges members to ratify charter
ASEAN’s new secretary-general, the former Thai foreign minister Dr Surin Pitsuwan, has wasted no time in getting down to business. Dr Surin is embarking on a tour of every ASEAN member country, urging them to ratify the bloc’s new landmark charter before they next meet in November.
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Singapore bid for Chinese airline stake falls through
A bid by Singapore Airlines to buy a quarter of China’s third-largest airline has fallen through at a shareholder’s meeting in Shanghai. The deal, worth nearly $US1 billion, came undone amid a series of unexpected moves by domestic Chinese competitors, and many analysts believe the central government took action to block foreign ownership in the booming air sector.
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Win against Vietnam, China people smuggling
A man who allegedly befriended Vietnamese women through internet chatrooms, then enticed them to travel to China, has been arrested in Vietnam for people-smuggling. The man, identified as Nguyen Anh Tuan, is one of hundreds of cases cited by Vietnamese police and border guards last year, as China emerges as a major new human trafficking destination in the booming Mekong region.
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US to provide China nuclear energy know-how
The United States has kept a tight grip on to its peaceful nuclear technology for decades, forcing emerging nations like China to purchase Russian, French and Canadian designs. But that’s all changed as US company, Westinghouse, has been allowed to deliver its new design for the newest third-generation nuclear plant to the emerging nation.
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