Singapore

A heated exchange of words is unhelpful when the superpowers need each other, especially in view of the economic downturn exacerbated by the pandemic this year, says Yew Chiew Ping. SINGAPORE: As protests over the police killing of George Floyd raged in the US, the chaotic scenes of fire and tear gas called to mind the anti-extradition bill protests in Hong Kong which started a year ago. China’s pent-up anger at US support of the Hong Kong protests found a release, as its diplomats jumped on the opportunity to conflate the two protests and accuse the US of hypocrisy and double standards. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian questioned the US’ reference to those Hong Kong protesters as heroes while labeling American protesters thugs. In late May, when the US State Departme...

Ministers from 15 Asia-Pacific countries negotiating a sprawling free trade agreement agreed Tuesday to continue aiming for a deal by the end of the year, while keeping the door open for India to return to the talks. “We believe that India’s participation in (the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) would contribute to the advancement and prosperity of the region. We therefore wish to emphasize that the RCEP remains open for India,” the ministers said in a joint statement following a videoconference. The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand said last November that they had concluded the bulk of negotiations. But India, which is concerned that opening up its market would cause its trade deficit wi...

SINGAPORE: Enhanced safety measures for Singapore Airlines (SIA), SilkAir and Scoot flights are being rolled out to protect passengers and crew amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the airlines announced on Sunday (Jun 7). This comes as travel is set to pick up again, with the resumption of more flights this month and transit operations recommencing at Changi Airport. From Monday, passengers on all SIA Group flights will be given a kit with a surgical mask, anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitiser when they travel, said SIA in a news release. An enhanced cleaning process has also been implemented for aircraft and lounges, said the national carrier. SIA said it was also looking to trial an ultra-violet light cleaning procedure on the ground for its lavatories before every flight. Passe...

Two U.S. aircraft carriers kicked off joint exercises in the Philippine Sea on Sunday, a day after Southeast Asian leaders delivered some of their strongest remarks opposing Beijing’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups began the drills to bolster the United States’ “responsive, flexible, and enduring commitments” to mutual defense agreements with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the Navy said in a statement. The dual carrier exercises also came exactly a week after the Nimitz and another carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt conducted their own joint operations in the area. It is rare to see three U.S. aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the Western Pacific and even more unusual...

SINGAPORE: Chinese buyout firm Hopu is partnering with key shareholders of Perennial Real Estate Holdings, including Wilmar International and its CEO, to take Perennial private in a deal that values it at S$1.58 billion. The consortium, which includes firms owned by entrepreneur Ron Sim and Perennial's CEO, said late on Friday (Jun 12) that the offer comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has roiled the global economy. Perennial is a Singapore-listed real estate and healthcare firm. The acquirer said it has secured undertakings from about 82 per cent of Perennial's shareholders, and that Hopu will provide funding to purchase the rest of Perennial's shares from the non-consortium shareholders. "Perennial will require a significant amount of capital to pursue its growth objective...