Top Asian News 2:55 p.m. GMT

New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon talks trade in meeting with China’s Xi

BEIJING (AP) — The prime minister of New Zealand stressed the mutual benefits of trade with China in a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday, while acknowledging their disagreements on geopolitical issues. Christopher Luxon, on his first visit to China since becoming prime minister in late 2023, flew to Beijing after two days of meetings with officials and business leaders in Shanghai, China’s commercial center. He wants to maintain healthy trade ties despite differences over regional and global security issues and China’s growing divide with the United States. China is an important market for New Zealand food, dairy and other exports.

Thai prime minister visits border with Cambodia after leaked conversation triggers resignation calls

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the border with Cambodia on Friday as she faced resignation calls following a leaked phone call between her and Cambodia’s former leader discussing recent border tensions. Paetongtarn traveled to a border town in northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province, near a small contested territory with Cambodia where a brief confrontation between the two sides on May 28 killed one Cambodian soldier. A statement from Thailand’s Government House said Paetongtarn’s visit was aimed at boosting morale among soldiers who are working hard to protect the country’s sovereignty and interests. Several groups of activists said Friday that they would rally next week to demand Paetongtarn’s resignation.

All 7 BTS members are now done with mandatory service

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Suga, a rapper and songwriter in the global K-pop sensation BTS, has been discharged from South Korea’s mandatory military service, marking the official return of all seven members from their enlistment duties. The label confirmed that Suga completed his alternative service duties on Wednesday after using up his remaining leave. His official discharge date is Saturday. BTS’ management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, had said earlier that no events were planned for Suga’s release out of concern for overcrowding. It is a momentous occasion for fans of the K-pop group BTS. The seven singers of the popular K-pop band plan to reunite as a group sometime in 2025 now that they’ve finished their service.

Japan hosts coast guard drills with US and Philippines as sea tensions rise

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s coast guard on Friday held a joint exercise with counterparts from the United States and the Philippines, as the three Pacific nations beef up defense cooperation in the face of China’s expanding maritime activities. The exercise came after Japan confirmed that two Chinese aircraft carriers had operated together for the first time in the Pacific in June. Japan and China had blamed each other after Tokyo complained that a Chinese fighter jet from one of the carriers flew dangerously close to Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Friday’s coast guard exercise just off Japan’s southern prefecture of Kagoshima involved 350 personnel from the three countries, and was based on a scenario of a collision between vessels at high seas, a fire and crew members falling overboard.

China sends scores of planes across central line in Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early Friday, 61 of which crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that unofficially divides the sides, an unusually large number as tensions remained heightened in the region. It wasn’t clear why so many planes were scrambled between late Thursday and early Friday, as tabulated by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. The planes were sent in two separate tranches, it added. China considers Taiwan its own territory and uses such deployments to advertise its threat to encircle and possibly invade the self-governing island. China also hopes to intimidate Taiwan’s population of 23 million and wear down its equipment and the morale of its armed forces.

Malaysian court drops money laundering charges against jailed ex-leader Najib Razak

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian court dropped three money laundering charges against jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday, in a case linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of a state fund. Najib was previously convicted in a graft case tied to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund, or 1MBD, and began serving time in 2022, after losing his final appeal. He also faces other graft trials. The High Court’s decision to drop the charges alleging Najib received 27 million ringgit ($6.3 million) in illegal proceeds to his bank accounts came after procedural delays by the prosecution, which saw the case dragging on for six years, Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said.

Thai prime minister’s leaked phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen sparks outrage and political turmoil

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced growing calls for her resignation in a deepening political crisis set off by a leaked recording of her negotiating with Cambodia’s former leader in the two nations’ latest border dispute. Paetongtarn apologized to the public on Thursday, after a major coalition partner used the leaked phone call to pull out of the fragile government led by her Pheu Thai Party. Paetongtarn has already been criticized for a perceived soft stance toward Cambodia, especially by right-wing nationalists who are longtime foes of her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The latest border dispute involved an armed confrontation May 28 in a relatively small contested territory in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.

Foreigners evacuated by air, land and sea as Israel-Iran conflict worsens

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Countries are evacuating their nationals from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as conflict rages between the bitter rivals. Days of attacks and reprisals by the two enemies have shuttered airspace across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily. Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open. Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last week when Israel launched surprise missile strikes on Iran. Bulgaria has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, the Balkan country’s prime minister said Thursday.

New Zealand has suspended millions in funding to the Cook Islands over its growing China ties

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over the “breadth and content” of agreements the smaller Pacific nation has made with China, officials said Thursday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is on his first official visit to China, said the Cook Islands had not been transparent and open about its comprehensive strategic partnership with China. “We’ve suspended some of the aid money until we can get clarity on those issues,” he said in Shanghai. Relations between the smaller Pacific island nations and their regional backers Australia and New Zealand have stumbled in recent years as Beijing vies to increase its sway in the region.

A look at soaring border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Tens of thousands of people gathered in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday for a march to show their solidarity with the government and military, amid soaring tensions with neighboring Thailand following a border row that erupted last month. Here’s what to know about the latest dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. The recent dispute was triggered in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small “no man’s land” constituting territory along their border that both countries claim as their own. Both sides have said they acted in self-defense.