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With an eye on China, Japan plans 2 + 2 talks with Philippines, India

Japan plans to hold so-called “two-plus-two” meetings with the Philippines and India to discuss maritime security including in the South China Sea, a move analysts say could send a message to Beijing about Tokyo’s determination to foster ties with like-minded partners. “Two-plus-two” are ministerial-level meetings that involve both foreign and defense ministers of participating countries….

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Shanghai’s lockdown shock

Authorities in Shanghai, China’s biggest city and financial hub, suddenly announced a full lockdown after the detection of the omicron variant of coronavirus. The strictness of Shanghai’s COVID-19 restrictions caught many residents in the city of 26 million people off-guard, sparking anger and panic-buying that emptied shelves and raised concerns about elderly people unable to…

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Denmark commission finds Copenhagen illegally silenced anti-China demonstrators

A commission appointed by the government of Denmark this week criticized the country’s Foreign Ministry for giving into Chinese pressure and preventing anti-Beijing demonstrations during state visits in 2012 and 2013. The Tibet Commission found that Denmark’s intelligence and security service used pressure to convince police in Copenhagen to stop all anti-China demonstrations, in violation…

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Shanghai battens down for further lockdowns as city government admits poor planning

China looks set to stay with its controversial zero-COVID policy, as residents of the west bank of Shanghai’s Huangpu river flocked to supermarkets ahead of Friday‘s scheduled lockdown, and patients said they were having trouble getting lifesaving medical treatment due to testing restrictions. The city, which is home to 26 million people, is under a two-phase lockdown…

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Indonesian foreign minister calls on Russia to stop war with Ukraine

During a meeting with her Russian counterpart in China this week, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she pressed Moscow to end its war with Ukraine, citing the urgent humanitarian situation and the conflict’s ripple effects on the world economy.  Her Wednesday talk with Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an international meeting to discuss…

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