Asia Pacific – Page 1105 – Prologue Journal

Dalai Lama Apologizes Over an Exchange With a Boy

New York Times In a video, the 87-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader sticks out his tongue and asks the child to “suck” it. His office said the actions had been lighthearted. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/world/asia/dalai-lama-boy.html

China Brandishes Military Options in Exercises Around Taiwan

New York Times The People’s Liberation Army’s ships, planes and troops held three days of drills in a spectacle designed to warn Taiwan against challenging Beijing. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/world/asia/china-military-exercises-taiwan.html

Russia says China has right to conduct Taiwan military exercises

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Kremlin spokesman said ‘you and I have witnessed actions provocative toward China’, which has ‘sovereign right to respond’ according to ‘international law’. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3216589/russia-says-china-has-right-conduct-taiwan-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed

South Korea asks China for help in locating suspects who gave children drug-laced drinks

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. A South Korean and a Chinese national, both living in China, are suspected of masterminding the distribution of drinks laced with drugs to high-school students in Seoul. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3216585/south-korea-asks-china-help-locating-suspects-who-gave-children-drug-laced-drinks?utm_source=rss_feed

Will Blinken’s trip yield a strategic upgrade for US ties with China-friendly Vietnam?

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Blinken’s trip is part of US efforts to upgrade diplomatic relations with Vietnam, which has been hesitant to formally upgrade ties over fears of alienating Beijing. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3216581/will-blinkens-trip-yield-strategic-upgrade-us-ties-china-friendly-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed

Philippines will not let US access military sites for ‘offensive action’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said bases which can be accessed by Washington’s troops are for defence purposes, to give US ‘the chance to be able to come and help us in any way’. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3216579/philippines-will-not-let-us-access-military-sites-offensive-action?utm_source=rss_feed

China Sentences Leading Rights Activists to 14 and 12 Years in Prison

New York Times Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi were detained after organizing a small seaside gathering of activists to discuss human rights. Their lengthy sentences point to Beijing’s intolerance of dissent. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/world/asia/china-activists-prison.html

Dalai Lama apologises for asking boy to suck his tongue

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Sticking one’s tongue out can be form of greeting in Tibet; statement said monk ‘regrets incident’. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3216569/dalai-lama-apologises-asking-boy-suck-his-tongue?utm_source=rss_feed

In the Philippines, 72 died by drowning in first 9 days of April alone: ‘some were drunk’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The death toll, tallied from 67 drowning incidents since the start of April, came as many Filipinos ‘got excited’ to visit beaches and resorts around the country, the police said. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3216549/philippines-72-died-drowning-first-9-days-april-alone-some-were-drunk?utm_source=rss_feed

North Korea cuts communication link with ‘puppet traitor’ South amid US drills

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Seoul said on Monday that the North could have ‘unilaterally cut-off’ a communications link between the two Koreas after it failed to respond for a fourth straight day to regularly held calls. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3216535/north-korea-cuts-communication-link-puppet-traitor-south-amid-us-drills?utm_source=rss_feed