Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to South Korea represents a new point for the two nations, especially on trade and energy. Last month, both countries agreed to share advanced tech and data, as they plan on working together on a variety of initiatives to enhance their positions at home and abroad. South Korea is Canada’s seventh largest trading partner, with a two-way merchandise trade of $21.9 billion. It is also the world’s 10th largest economy, and South Korea’s economic prowess, along with the fascination for Korean pop culture, commonly known as “Hallyu,” have garnered interest around the world.
Ukraine's use of an advanced version of the US-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile system to intercept Russian hypersonic rockets is being closely watched by Taiwanese officials. However, there is debate as to whether the PAC-3 system would be effective in the event of an attack launched by China. Ukraine meanwhile has not confirmed that it used PAC-3 to shoot down Russian missiles, though the US military said the system had been used. China is known to have deployed at least 1,200 short-range ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan, including missiles equipped with hypersonic glide vehicles.
Global chipmakers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Samsung Electronics, Intel and US chipmaker Micron, have agreed to invest billions of dollars in Japan as countries seek to reduce their dependence on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, which is under threat of invasion by China. Rising tensions between the west and China have spurred on this shift towards reducing reliance on Taiwan. Semiconductors are an essential component to modern-day technology & electronic equipment, and Taiwan is home to 65% of the world’s semiconductors and almost 90% of the most advanced chips.
As China, Russia, and Trump challenge the old rules of global politics, G7 aims to shore them up
CNN
23-05-18 20:47
This year’s G7 summit in Japan will focus on dealing with the war in Ukraine, the threat from China, climate change and international trade, all in an effort to solidify international rules and practices which are under serious threat. Similarly, although less prominently, the G7 will also deal with the struggle of many Western nations to resist populist, anti-democratic movements which may hinder their efforts to hold on to power that has become increasingly fragile. These problems are causing a new “Great Game” which could write new global rules over the course of decades.
The world's most advanced democracies have gathered for the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan, to discuss heavy sanctions against Russia, to prevent conflict with China and to pay homage to the costs of war. The summit is set to feature heavily on strategies to end Russia's aggression in Ukraine and cut Ukraine's overreliance on Russian energy exports. The G7 countries will discuss how to better trace diamonds to cut trade in the precious gems from Russia, and how best to discourage global investment in China, without alienating the country completely.
Leaders from the world’s seven largest advanced economies are gathering in Japan for the G7 summit, but not China, the country responsible for a significant share of global growth. The leaders are expected to condemn China’s use of trade attacks against neighbours and also note China’s framing of the G7 as an outmoded, Western, order. Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has invited leaders from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Comoros to the G7 meeting in an attempt to engage with countries that will be pivotal in determining China’s future role in global order.
As G7 leaders arrive in Japan, the group is expected to take a strong stance against China's use of trade as a tool to allow them to attack opponents and to threaten Taiwan. Beijing's campaigns using economic leverage against countries such as Japan, South Korea and Australia have won it few friends, however, analysts note that while Hong Kong is likely to be on the G7 agenda, the delegates may be hesitant to put too much pressure on Beijing. The G-7 summit will be followed by the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore where US allies are expected to push Washington to clarify its intentions in the South China Sea, following the US decision to sail a warship close to China's controversial artificial island-building activities and ahead of an international court ruling on China's vast territorial claims in the area. Pompeo is not attending, raising concerns that the machinery of US defence and foreign policy cannot quickly adjust to cope with the changes a Trump administration would bring.
On a recent trip to Washington, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the importance of the American alliance and committed to increasing bilateral cooperation in security, economic, and diplomatic areas. President Yoon recommitted to support for the US after since his inauguration in May 2022, to provide a foundation and leverage for engagement with China and North Korea. The most significant achievement of the summit was the Washington Declaration, which alleviated US concerns about allied nuclear proliferation and South Korean doubt about the American extended deterrence guarantee. The agreement aims to enhance reassurance to Seoul regarding US nuclear aid, but it does not increase deterrence to Pyongyang. The statement focused on supporting an “inclusive, free, and fair-trading system while opposing economic coercion” and enhancing cooperation within the region regarding maritime domain awareness and security. South Korea hesitated to directly provide lethal aid to Ukraine out of concern about Russian anger.
South Korea sought to reduce its trade dependency on China by diversifying its economy towards other partnerships, with projects investing billions in the US. During President Yoon’s visit to Washington, agreements were signed to commit to increased cooperation in semiconductors, future vehicles, and clean energy. Washington and Seoul also signed agreements to expand supply-chain security, and to enhance cooperation for the critical-mineral supply and biotechnology. Both parties need to operationalize the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) and ensure its efficient implementation. Additionally, Washington and Seoul should engage in a strategic messaging program to explain how greater integration with US extended deterrence is in South Korea’s interest. Finally, the U.S. and South Korea should increase the size, scope, frequency, and type of combined military exercises, including incorporating U.S. strategic assets.
South Korea should be added as a new member of the G-7 to ensure the relevance and unity of the group, according to The Daily Signal. This year's G-7 summit takes place between 19-21 May in Japan's Hiroshima and is regarded as the most critical since the establishment of the forum as the world's free-market democracies are being challenged by Russia and China. South Korea, one of the world's exemplary free-market democracies that knows how to make, build and reconstruct, merits being added to the G-7 to strengthen the alliance and preserve and enlarge the free, open, and democratic spaces. All G-7 member nations should welcome the move, in particular, to bridge Indo-Pacific and transatlantic communities. There are no formal criteria for membership in the G-7, member states are democracies and have highly developed economies.
South Korean golfer Tom Kim made a name for himself at the PGA Championship when he went waist deep into the mud in order to find his ball, after an errant shot off the sixth tee. Kim came out empty-handed, and his clothes covered in mud, but took the experience in good spirits, even when he found out it had gone viral on social media. Despite the embarrassment, Kim would go into the mud again if it meant saving a shot, telling reporters that every shot counts in major championships.
South Korea's finance minister, Choo Kyung-ho, has discussed economic co-operation with China's ambassador to South Korea, as diplomatic tensions – stemming mostly from China's policies towards Taiwan – cast a pall over South Korea's economy. South Korea's sluggish economy and its export industry, which accounts for nearly 40% of its economy, have already been hit by low global demand for Korean technology products. South Korea's ambassador to Washington announced earlier this month that Seoul would soon open senior-level dialogues with Beijing.
Leaders of the world's seven most powerful democracies will attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima to discuss issues including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and gender. The G7 leaders will also host discussions with leaders outside the G7, such as Vietnamese Prime Minister Tan Dung, to address the rise of developing nations. Chinese military aggression from North Korea and Russia will be among the topics to be covered. Pledges of continuing support for Ukraine will see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky join the session via the internet, and there will also be a focus on Beijing's increasing threats against Taiwan.
Krafton, the South Korean gaming company backed by Tencent, has received approval from Indian authorities to resume its popular battle-royale game, which had been blocked in the country due to concerns about data-sharing and mining in China.
South Korean officials are sending a 21-member team to Japan to examine plans to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima power plant into the sea. The five-day review will look at the plant’s water processing systems to determine whether the water will be safe to discharge into the ocean. Japan announced its intent to host South Korean experts to review its plans following a recent summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, signalling a desire to improve relations between the two nations. However, Japanese officials have stated that the South Korean visit does not constitute an inspection of the plant as the International Atomic Energy Agency has already reviewed safety aspects, with the results due to be published next month. South Korea also reportedly accused Japan of refusing to allow private South Korean experts to join the investigation, stating that this is a government-to-government matter.
G7 leaders gather on China’s doorstep to seek unified response to Beijing’s threat
CNN
23-05-19 04:17
The G7 summit, which has convened in Hiroshima, will focus on the dominant issue of China and Russia, with the G7 nations seeking to present a united approach to China’s increasing economic and military might and Russia’s activities in Ukraine. The economic security of the G7 nations is of particular concern in the face of China’s assertive demonstrations of economic coercion. China has already bolstered its ties with Russia, and is attempting to drive a wedge into the transatlantic alliance, which has concerned officials in Washington. Yasuhiro Matsuda, an international relations professor at the University of Tokyo, suggests that the G7 meeting constitutes a platform for the leaders to discuss how to deal with these issues. However, a different approach is required considering members’ different concerns and relationships with Beijing and in view of their strong economic links to China. It remains to be seen how the summit will help to recalibrate the G7 approach toward China, but it is anticipated that leaders will work toward diversifying supply chains and reducing reliance on China.
Global leaders including the US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, the EU, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia, will attend the G7 summit in the city of Hiroshima on 21-23 May. The meeting is likely to focus on the Ukraine war, increasing Chinese dominance and the threat to Taiwan. Issues surrounding supply chains, economic and energy security will also be discussed. India’s appearance as a developing nation is also set to feature India plans to devote six roundtables to climate, green and sustainable finance, and debt sustainability issues at the summit. President Joe Biden defined this year’s summit as “a pivotal moment for our world and for democracies and the values we represent”.
Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard is accused of leaking scores of classified documents—the largest disclosure of classified US secrets in a decade—to friends in a chatroom using the Discord communication app. Last week, a federal magistrate judge in Worcester, Massachusetts, heard arguments on whether Teixeira should be freed on bond or detained pending trial. A ruling from judge David H. Hennessy is yet to be released. The case has raised numerous questions, including why these leaks still occur despite safeguards put into place after the Bradley (Chelsea) Manning debacle. The Teixeira case rattled the national security establishment, exposed sensitive sources and methods, and caused untold damage that we are only beginning to understand. The potential charges that Teixeira faces include violating two federal laws: unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material. Each violation carries a maximum sentence of 10 years upon conviction, and each violation of 18 U.S.C. 1924 carries a maximum of five years.
Teixeira began posting text that appeared to contain classified information on a social media platform using a server that he administered in December 2022. In January 2022, Jack began posting photographs of U.S. government documents with classified markings. In February 2022, records indicated that he accessed and posted a document that described the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements on a particular date. The more that is released around the case, the wider the net potentially gets. The documents provided apparently offer extensive insight into the modus operandi of American intelligence gathering as well as providing a level of transparency that some might argue contributes to a more open democracy. The revelations of intelligence often make clear what foreign governments think of their peers and give us context or background for understanding great power competition.
The UK government has announced a £1bn investment in the country's semiconductor industry over the next decade as part of an effort to reduce the reliance on Asian production of computer chips. The strategy is designed to boost the domestic chip industry, safeguard British national security and alleviate supply chain disruption, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The government funding will focus on research and development, as well as design, intellectual property and cutting-edge compound semiconductors. The first £200m will be distributed between 2023 and 2025.
China and Japan have established an official defence hotline and held a 20-minute long phone call this week, 15 years after starting discussions on such a hotline. The hotline was created to develop communication mechanisms between the two countries, especially relating to managing naval and territorial disputes, despite neither indicating any plans to execute armed attacks on the other. Hotlines enable a direct channel of communication between the designated offices responsible for dealing with particular issue areas in case of a crisis. Hotlines can be the only way of ensuring communication in a situation in which cut off communication could worsen the crisis. The two countries have experienced various disputes related to military or naval activity including the overflight of Chinese helicopters above Japanese vessels and the Senkaku islands being claimed by both countries.
A group of North Korean defectors who recently fled to South Korea did so due to the country's strict COVID-19 controls, according to South Korea's intelligence agency. The defectors, consisting of nearly 10 people, crossed the border by ship on May 6th. The group reported that they used to watch South Korean TV and admire South Korean society but grew tired of the North Korean regime when social controls became stricter due to COVID-19. The number of North Koreans defecting to South Korea has plummeted in recent years, likely due to Pyongyang's border restrictions during the pandemic.
