Title:

 India, Singapore conduct naval drill in South China Sea

Author:

DDNEws

Source:

DDNews

Date:

May 20, 2019 

Description:

The bilateral naval drill will be conducted till May 22. Indian Navy ships Kolkata and Shakti took part in the bilateral naval exercise with Singapore, along with long range maritime patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I (P8I). The Singapore side is to be represented by RSN ships Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50 (F-50) and F-16 fighter aircraft.

Title:

 U.S. Hikes Tariffs On Chinese Imports, As Tense Trade Talks Continue

Author:

Jim Zarroli

Source:

National Public Radio

Date:

 May 9, 2019

Description:

U.S. and Chinese negotiators will resume their high-stakes trade negotiations in Washington on Friday, hours after a scheduled increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods took effect. The Trump administration raised tariffs on $200 billion in imported products from China at 12:01 a.m. ET Friday, significantly raising the stakes in the ongoing trade dispute with Beijing.

Title:

 Asean, China, Japan, S. Korea reaffirm fight vs. trade protectionism

Author:

Ben De Vera

Source:

Inquirer

Date:

 May 2, 2019

Description:

The three East Asian economic giants together with Asean member-states on Thursday reiterated they will fight protectionism while strengthening intra-regional trade through targeted initiatives amid slowing global growth.

Title:

 Exclusive: In rare move, French warship passes through Taiwan Strait

Author:

Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart

Source:

Reuters

Date:

 April 25, 2019

Description:

A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, U.S. officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tensions with Beijing.

Title:

 The US is attacking Huawei and China — without its own 5G strategy

Author:

Elizabeth Schulze

Source:

CNBC

Date:

April 21, 2019 

Description:

The United States and China are racing to build out high-speed 5G networks, and President Donald Trump doesn’t want America to come in second place. Last week, Trump introduced initiatives to speed up the rollout of new wireless networks across the U.S., saying “the race to 5G is a race America must win.” But experts say the U.S. still lacks a clear 5G strategy that goes beyond attacking Huawei, a Chinese tech giant and the world’s biggest supplier of telecommunications equipment.

Title:

 China’s Rebounding Economy Strengthens Beijing's Hand in Trade Talks With the U.S.

Author:

Yinan Zhao and Enda Curran

Source:

Time

Date:

April 17, 2019 

Description:

China’s economy rebounded through the first quarter, offering the government room for maneuver as trade negotiations with the U.S. enter a crucial stage. Gross domestic product rose 6.4 percent in the first three months from a year earlier — matching last quarter’s pace and beating economists’ estimates. Factory output in March jumped 8.5 percent from a year earlier, much higher than forecast. Retail sales expanded 8.7 percent while investment was up 6.3 percent in the year to date.

Title:

 US accelerates project-financing in Asean

Author:

PHUWIT LIMVIPHUWAT

Source:

The Nation

Date:

 April 8, 2019

Description:

Washington is keen on financing infrastructure, energy, digital and telecommunication developments in the bloc through the official Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The Indo Pacific Strategy marks the US government’s bid to enhance cooperation with countries from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in areas such as economic development and security upgrade. “The Asean region is central to our Indo Pacific strategy as it lies in the centre of the Indo Pacific region,” said Eric Jones, chief of staff at OPIC on Friday during a press briefing at the US Embassy in Bangkok.

Title:

 Russian warships arrive in the Philippines amid rising South China Sea tensions

Author:

Ben Westcott and Brad Lendon

Source:

CNN

Date:

 April 8, 2019

Description:

Two Russian destroyers and a tanker have docked in the Philippines for a "goodwill visit" amid escalating tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The destroyers Admiral Tributs and Vinogradov -- classified as "large, anti-submarine ships" -- docked in Manila early Monday, along with the Admiral Irkut, a "large sea tanker," according to the Philippine News Agency.

Title:

 U.S. hopes for second aircraft carrier visit to Vietnam this year: official

Author:

Reuters

Source:

Reuters

Date:

 April 3, 2019

Description:

The United States hopes to reach agreement for another aircraft carrier visit to Vietnam this year and for such port stops to become a regular feature of the increasingly close relationship between the former Vietnam War enemies, a senior U.S. defense official said on Wednesday.

Title:

 New U.S. military budget focused on China despite border talk

Author:

Rober Burns

Source:

PBS News

Date:

March 16, 2019 

Description:

Chinese bombers. Chinese hypersonic missiles. Chinese cyberattacks. Chinese anti-satellite weapons. To a remarkable degree, the 2020 Pentagon budget proposal is shaped by national security threats that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has summarized in three words: “China, China, China.”

Title:

 Australia to help boost digital trade in the Indo-Pacific

Author:

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Marise Payne Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, and Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

Source:

Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Date:

 March 13, 2019

Description:

The Morrison Government has today launched a new $4.5 million program to help developing countries in the Indo-Pacific maximise the benefits of digital trade. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said the ‘E-commerce Aid for Trade Fund’ would have a major focus on building e-commerce capacity and capability across the Indo-Pacific, including within the ASEAN region. “Digital trade is an increasingly important way for our region to connect and do business with the rest of the world,” Minister Birmingham said.

Title:

 China a Rising Threat to National Security, Say DOD Leaders

Author:

David Vergun

Source:

US Department of Defense

Date:

March 13, 2019 

Description:

China is building up its military in ways that threaten U.S. and allied interests in the Western Pacific and in the South China Sea in particular, the deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment said today. For example, its DF21 and DF26 missiles are capable of targeting ships in the area and land targets, including Guam, a major resupply location for U.S. forces, Alan R. Shaffer said.

Title:

 China, U.S. make 'substantial progress' in trade talks: Xinhua

Author:

Josh Horwitz

Source:

Reuters

Date:

 February 25, 2019

Description:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The United States and China have made “substantial progress” on specific issues in the latest round of trade talks, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, citing the Chinese delegation to the discussions in Washington.