Philippines’ No 1 Asean chair priority? A South China Sea code, then a visit by Xi

Philippines’ No 1 Asean chair priority? A South China Sea code, then a visit by Xi

It was a fleeting handshake, but one that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr made sure was caught on camera. On November 1, Marcos approached Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Apec handover ceremony in Gyeongju, South Korea, to offer his congratulations as Beijing assumed the trade bloc’s 2026 chairmanship. A Filipino photographer was on hand…

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Asian markets pull back as stretched valuation fears jolt Wall St

Asian markets pull back as stretched valuation fears jolt Wall St

South Korea leads declines amid broad retreat Bitcoin, gold attempt recovery after selloff Wall Street CEOs question sustainability of rally SINGAPORE, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Asian stocks extended an overnight selloff on Wall Street in early trading on Wednesday as investor concerns about stretched valuations sapped confidence. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan…

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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United States Defence Ministers' High Tea, as part of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' meeting, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Are US-China ties finally thawing? Hegseth says relations never been better, announces opening new military channel

The temperature between Washington and Beijing seems to be shifting — not rising this time, but softening. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday announced that the United States and China would soon open military-to-military communication channels, describing bilateral ties as “never been better.” The statement, posted on X, followed his meeting with Chinese Defence…

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