Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Feb 28 (APP):Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Deputy Secretary-General Sohail Khan attended a conference of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area in Qingdao, China.

Representatives of the embassies of SCO countries in China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant ministries of the PRC, along with financial institutions, participated in the event, according to SCO Secretariat here.

ASTANA, February 28. /TASS/: The United States will impose sanctions on China if it helps Russia in the course of its special military operation in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a joint news conference with his Kazakh counterpart on Tuesday.

BEIJING, February 28. /TASS/:  The second plenary session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China that took place in Beijing on Tuesday adopted a plan to reform the country’s party and government agencies, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Xinhua is citing excerpts from a statement that followed the plenary session. The report didn’t give any further details of the document.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia has invited Thailand to join the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) as a member to create a stronger voice to address discriminatory protectionist measures against palm oil and rubber producers at the Asean level.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, who is also Plantation and Commodities Minister, said that with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand joining forces, they could speak with a bigger and louder voice.

RAYONG, Thailand, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Thailand and the United States kicked off on Tuesday military exercises involving more than 7,000 personnel and forces from 30 countries, with the annual drills including a component focused on space exercises for the first time.

"Cobra Gold", launched in 1982, is one of the world's longest-running multilateral military exercises and the biggest in Southeast Asia, serving as a key platform for Washington to shore up alliances in Asia at a time of increasing competition with China.

TOKYO (AP) — The lower house of Parliament approved Tuesday a budget for the coming fiscal year that includes a record 6.8 trillion yen ($50 billion) in defense spending, part of Japan’s effort to fortify its military as China’s influence in the region grows.

The 2023 defense budget, up 20% from a year earlier, includes 211.3 billion yen ($1.55 billion) for deployment of U.S.-made long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles that can be launched from warships and can hit targets up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un called for stronger public solidarity behind his leadership to increase the country’s grain production significantly, state media reported Tuesday, amid outside worries about the country’s worsened food insecurity.

Foreign experts say North Korea is experiencing a serious shortfall of food in the aftermath of COVID-19 border restrictions and a reported push for greater state control over grain supply. The experts say they’ve seen no signs of mass deaths or famine due to the shortfall.

BEIJING (AP) — China has ordered closer adherence to the dictates of the ruling Communist Party and leader Xi Jinping in legal education, demanding that schools “oppose and resist Western erroneous views” such as constitutional government, separation of powers, and judicial independence.

BEIJING (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, is due in Beijing to begin a three-day state visit Tuesday as geopolitical tensions rise over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China says the visit is an “opportunity to promote the further development of all-around cooperation between the two countries,” but there have been growing concerns that China is considering providing military assistance to Russia, something United States officials say would bring serious consequences.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, ending the city’s last major restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city’s Chief Executive John Lee said the requirement will end outdoors and indoors, including public transit, but some high-risk premises including hospitals and elderly homes can still require people to wear masks.

Lee’s announcement at a news briefing Tuesday came a day after the neighboring city Macao eased its mask rule and will bring the financial hub closer to the life in pre-pandemic days.