Modest Step Ahead for Anti-China Trade Framework
US President Joe Biden celebrated an economic agreement last week among fourteen Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan, which implicitly aims to counter China’s regional economic influence.
Tag Archives: Australia
Establish a US-Japan-Korea Center in Tokyo
The recent efforts to encourage cooperation between Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul in diverse fields, from science and technology to diplomacy and security, comes as welcome news, especially in light of the decline in collaboration during the Trump administration. Even before that time it was never particularly vibrant.
Taiwan Extends Period of Military Conscription
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has announced the extension of the military draft to one year from the current duration of four months, citing the perceived need for increased military preparedness.
Killer Robots Take Flight in Ukraine War
Human Rights Watch issued a report earlier this month urging world leaders to move forward with a ban on autonomous weapons systems. This latest plea comes nearly a decade after the organization co-founded the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, and as advanced military drones are operating in the skies over Ukraine.
UN Decision Sparks Hope for Indigenous Groups
In a historic decision by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the Australian government has been found to have violated the rights of its indigenous Torres Strait Islands populations by failing to protect them against climate change. This ruling could become a template for other indigenous groups around the world to secure their rights.
US Deploying Nuclear-Capable B-52s to Australia
In a move that critics are calling a “dangerous escalation,” the United States is reportedly preparing to deploy up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to northern Australia, where they would be close enough to strike China.
Australia Aims to Reduce Beijing’s Influence in Pacific Islands
New aid offered by Australia to Pacific island nations is aimed at reducing Beijing’s influence over Pacific island nations, an issue which has emerged as a major concern for US allies in the region.
Tigrayans Pushed to the Precipice
Ethiopia’s northern province of Tigray is losing ground in its brutal conflict with the central government, placing both the rebel region’s administration and its civilian population in severe jeopardy.
Air Conditioning as a Human Right
Air conditioning has long been viewed as a luxury which makes people’s lives more comfortable in the hot summer months, but increasingly in the era of the climate crisis, analysts are pointing out that it has become a matter of life-and-death, and thus access to air conditioning should be regarded as a human right in the late 21st century.
Voices of Japan’s Stranded
Japan’s decision to exclude most foreigners, including many foreign residents, from entering or reentering the national borders during the Covid pandemic has had a human and reputational cost which the mainstream media has tended to either ignore or to downplay.
