Malaysia's Anwar pitches joint economic zone with Singapore
Speaking at the two-day Nikkei Forum Medini, Johor 2025 -- held in the southernmost Malaysian state, where the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone is being developed -- Anwar pitched the key project, touting it as an opportunity for overseas investors.
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Nikkei Asia
3 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Through the Lens: Malaysia's Mahathir turns 100 and Japan's emperor visits Mongolia
Mahathir Mohamad, one of the world's oldest living former heads of government, celebrates his 100th birthday. Born in 1925, he entered politics in the 1940s and twice served as Malaysia's prime minister, first for a 22-year term from 1981 and then for about two years from 2018. Mahathir Mohamad, pictured here at his office in Putrajaya on July 9, turned 100 years old on July 10. The former Malaysian prime minister still maintains a disciplined daily routine, which includes staying engaged in national discourse, meeting with visitors, writing and offering counsel on political affairs. (Photo by) Mahathir holds a watch at his office on July 9. As the country's fourth and seventh prime minister, he served a total of 24 years in office from 1981 to 2003, and again from 2018 to 2020. (Photo by) A collection Mahathir's family photos is seen at his private residence in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia, on July 8. (Photo by) Mahathir works at his private office in Putrajaya, on July 9. (Photo by) Mahathir eats breakfast at his private residence in Seri Kembangan on July 8. (Photo by) Fondant figurines of Mahathir and his wife Siti Hasmah sit on top of a cake at a birthday meet-and-greet in Putrajaya on July 10. (Photo by) Mahathir receives gifts from supporters during his birthday meet-and-greet in Putrajaya on July 10. (Photo by) Supporters take photos with Mahathir and his wife Siti Hasmah during Mahathir's birthday meet-and-greet in Putrajaya on July 10. Siti Hasmah's 99th birthday was two days later on July 12. (Photo by) Mahathir rides on a tandem bicycle, accompanied by his personal security detail, during a birthday picnic event at Putrajaya Lake on July 13. The event was organized in celebration of Mahathir's 100th birthday and Siti Hasmah's 99th birthday. During the event, Mahathir rode around the lake before leaving earlier than expected after reportedly feeling slightly fatigued. (Photo by) A supporter holds up Mahathir's memoir during a birthday picnic for the former prime minister at Putrajaya Lake on July 13. (Photo by) Mahathir supporters gather at his birthday picnic at Putrajaya Lake on July 13. (Photo by) Hundreds of people perform Maghrib prayers at the Masjid Saidina Umar Al-Khattab mosque in Kuala Lumpur during a special prayer event held in conjunction with Mahathir's 100th birthday. (Photo by Faris Hadziq/AP) The special prayer event at the Masjid Saidina Umar Al-Khattab mosque in Kuala Lumpur served as a moment of reflection and tribute to Malaysia's longest serving prime minister. (Photo by Faris Hadziq/AP) Mahathir performs the Maghrib prayer at the Masjid Saidina Umar Al-Khattab mosque in Kuala Lumpur on July 10. (Photo by Faris Hadziq/AP) Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Mongolia from July 6 to July 13. The state visit cast a spotlight on the widely forgotten detention of thousands of Japanese soldiers and civilians in the last days of World War II. The emperor said he wished "to pay tribute to and ponder over the hardship of those who unwillingly lost their lives far away from their homeland." A motorcade for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako heads to a hotel in Ulaanbaatar on July 6, kicking off an eight-day state visit to Mongolia, the first by a Japanese emperor. (Pool photo) Emperor Naruhito plays a viola during a state banquet in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Pool photo) Emperor Naruhito talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in a ger, a traditional Mongolian tent, at the government office in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Pool photo) Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako talk with bereaved family members at the Dambadarjaa cemetery for deceased Japanese prisoners of war in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Pool photo) People wait in front of an image of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako ahead of a welcoming ceremony at Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Photo by B. Rentsendorj/Reuters) A crowd waits to see Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Photo by B. Rentsendorj/Reuters) Emperor Naruhito and Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh review an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony at Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar on July 8. (Photo by B. Rentsendorj/Reuters) Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watch Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh shoot an arrow during a traditional archery competition at the Naadam Festival held at National Central Stadium in Ulaanbaatar on July 11. (Pool photo) A mounted honour guard takes part in the opening ceremony for the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar on July 11. (Photo by B. Rentsendorj/Reuters) Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watch an equestrian competition as part of the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar on July 12. (Pool photo) Riders participate in a horse race on a field in Ulaanbaatar on July 12. (Pool photo) Emperor Naruhito speaks with the press after a visit to Hustai National Park, about 100 kilometers west of Ulaanbaatar, on July 12. (Pool photo) Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wave as they wrap up their visit to Mongolia, at Chinggis Khaan International Airport on July 13. (Pool photo)
The Diplomat
6 days ago
- The Diplomat
Trump Is Reshaping Southeast Asia's Future. Does He Realize That?
Trump and his team appear to pay little attention to the region, but whether by accident or design his policies are fundamentally altering Southeast Asia's trajectory. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with the press in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 10, 2025, on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was handed an unenviable task on his visit to Malaysia for ASEAN meetings last week. He needed to signal U.S. commitment to the region at the same time President Donald Trump was releasing tariff decisions on social media. Despite claiming that many ASEAN countries would receive better tariffs than other parts of the world, Rubio was handed a diplomatic rebuke by ASEAN foreign ministers, who declared that unilateral tariffs are counterproductive and 'pose complex challenges to ASEAN's economic stability and growth.' The awkward timing around Rubio's visit perhaps reflects a deeper problem: Trump and his team appear to pay little attention to the region. When it comes to global affairs, the Middle East, Ukraine, and trade with China have occupied much of their focus. Likewise, Trump's Cabinet has had only limited engagement with the region to date. In addition to Rubio's visit, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has visited Singapore and the Philippines. When U.S. officials do visit Southeast Asia, they've rolled out talking points about U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific that have done little to reassure regional countries struggling to deal with U.S. unpredictability. Despite the apparent disinterest in the region, whether by design or accident the Trump administration is making decisions that are fundamentally altering Southeast Asia's future. The question for ASEAN member states is whether they will take steps individually and collectively to avert the worst possible future. Trump is exacerbating divisions within ASEAN. Unity in the bloc has always been paper thin. It has struggled to deal with difficult issues like the South China Sea or the conflict in Myanmar. As current ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on member states to take a coordinated approach to negotiating U.S. tariffs. The opposite has happened as each country has tried to strike its own deal with the United States. Vietnam was first out of the blocks, with others continuing bilateral talks. The United States has also widened existing differences within the bloc on how to engage China by doubling down support for its close partners and alienating others. The delicate dance that ASEAN member states do as they hedge between the U.S. and China is becoming trickier. Hegseth was vocal in his support for the Philippines, talking about an 'ironclad' alliance in the face of China's aggression in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, higher U.S. tariffs appear to be targeted at countries that are seen as leaning toward China: Laos (40 percent), Cambodia (36 percent), and Thailand (36 percent) have been hardest hit. If the main game for the U.S. is to compete with China, it's unclear why it is imposing hefty tariffs that will push regional countries closer to it. The Trump administration isn't just exacerbating regional divisions, it is altering the economic outlook. Tariff decisions will amplify and accelerate long-term economic trends, creating winners and losers. Take Indonesia. President Prabowo Subianto's 8 percent growth target is as distant as ever and even 5 percent growth seems challenging. The rupiah has weakened, the stock market has backed away from the highs of last year and the middle class is under pressure. Trump's 32 percent tariff will further weaken Indonesia's outlook. Growth will take a hit and foreign investors may look at other markets that received better tariff rates. If these trends hold long-term, Indonesia will struggle to achieve its goal of becoming a middle income country by 2045. In contrast, the strong economic outlook for Vietnam and the Philippines will be bolstered by their tariffs of 20 percent, the lowest rates in ASEAN. The tariff on Vietnam (which rises to 40 percent for transshipped goods) is likely to put a dint in its 6 percent-plus forecast growth in 2025. However, foreign investment should hold up as the tariff rate maintains Vietnam's attractiveness relative to other ASEAN economies. Likewise, forecasted growth of over 6 percent in the Philippines is likely to take a hit. As with Vietnam, the impact will be temporary and the 20 percent tariff rate will likewise strengthen its attractiveness to foreign investors relative to ASEAN peers. If these trends hold, Trump may help Vietnam and the Philippines escape the middle income trap while Indonesia becomes increasingly stuck. Nothing is ever set in stone with Trump. He's flagged yet another deadline of August 1 before the tariffs come into effect, so countries still have a chance to negotiate better deals. Of course, Southeast Asian countries have agency and are not completely beholden to Trump's whims. Individually they can choose to undertake structural reforms, adjust their growth model, and diversify trading partners. Collectively, there's room to rethink ASEAN's norms and procedures. But all these changes take time and political will. There will also be plenty of twists and turns to come, as we are not even a year into Trump's presidency. But if existing trends continue, the long-term impact will be a region that is more divided politically and economically.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Russian Foreign Minister Arrives in North Korea, KCNA Says
SEOUL, July 12 (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Friday, North Korea's state media KCNA said on Saturday, the latest visit by a senior Russian official to the isolated state amid warming ties between the countries. Lavrov's visit, scheduled to Sunday, includes a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers, KCNA reported. Lavrov flew out of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur following the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting and arrived in Wonsan, North Korea's eastern coastal city, which is home to a recently opened resort and known for its missile and naval facilities. Lavrov's visit is the latest high-level meeting between the two countries amid a dramatic upgrading of their strategic cooperation that now includes a mutual defence pact. The South Korean intelligence service has said North Korea may be preparing to deploy additional troops in July or August, after sending more than 10,000 soldiers to fight with Russia in the war against Ukraine. North Korea has agreed to dispatch 6,000 military engineers and builders for reconstruction in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a mass cross-border incursion nearly a year ago. Russian news agencies also reported Lavrov's arrival and said after North Korea he is expected to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday. Russia's state TASS news agency said Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart, Choi Son Hui, would discuss the 40-month-old Ukraine conflict and the situation on the Korean peninsula. TASS said the new coastal resort could boost Russian tourism to North Korea, citing the resumption of direct trains from Moscow to Pyongyang and a project to build a bridge across the Tumen River forming part of the boundary between North Korea, China and Russia. TASS quoted Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying more high-level delegations would visit North Korea later this year. Rudenko said the accord on strategic partnership 'clearly meets the changing needs over recent decades and strengthens traditionally friendly, good-neighbourly Russian-Korean relations to a qualitatively new level as allies.'
