Top Asian News 1:56 a.m. GMT

China’s Xi Jinping says there are no winners in a tariff war as he visits Southeast Asia

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — China’s leader Xi Jinping said no one wins in a trade war as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, presenting China as a force for stability in contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest moves on tariffs, Although Trump has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145% duties on China, the world’s second-largest economy. “There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial jointly published in Vietnamese and Chinese official media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.” Xi’s visit lets China show Southeast Asia it is a “responsible superpower in the way that contrasts with the way the U.S.

Former Malaysian leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who extended political freedoms, dies at 85

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a moderate who extended the country’s political freedoms but was criticized for lackluster leadership, has died of heart disease. He was 85. Affectionately known as “Pak Lah,” or uncle Lah, Abdullah was admitted to Kuala Lumpur’s State Institute of Heart on Sunday after experiencing breathing difficulties. He was closely monitored by a cardiac specialists team, but passed away on Monday at 7:10 p.m. despite all medical efforts, the hospital said in a statement. Abdullah was first admitted to the hospital in April 2024, after being diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax, a collapsed lung that occurs without any apparent cause.

Yoon’s trial on rebellion charges opens in South Korea. Here’s what to know

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal saga is far from over. Ten days after he was ousted from office over his martial law declaration, the former conservative South Korean president appeared for the first time at his criminal trial Monday on high-stakes rebellion charges. Yoon’s decision to declare military rule and send troops to Seoul streets in December made him the country’s first president to be indicted while in office. If convicted of rebellion, he could face a life sentence, or theoretically, the death penalty. Here is what to know about the trial, which could take as long as two to three years: When the Constitutional Court upheld the parliament’s impeachment of Yoon and removed him from office, it stated Yoon’s violation of the constitution and other laws was too grave to be tolerated and “betrayed public confidence.” It said Yoon’s martial law enactment “caused confusion in the society, economy, politics, diplomacy and all other areas.” Given the ruling, there is “a low possibility” for the criminal court to issue a different verdict so Yoon will likely be convicted on rebellion charges, said Park SungBae, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law.

A fugitive Indian jeweler accused of a $1.8bn bank fraud has been arrested in Belgium

NEW DELHI (AP) — Fugitive Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi, who has been accused of involvement in one of India’s biggest bank frauds, has been arrested in Belgium, his lawyer said Monday. Choksi and his diamond tycoon nephew Nirav Modi are accused of a $1.8 billion fraud involving Punjab National Bank, the country’s second-largest public lender. Both fled India in 2018. The arrest was made following an extradition request by Indian authorities, local media reported. Choksi was arrested on Saturday in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, one of the most important diamond trading hubs in the world. His lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, told reporters that Choksi’s legal team would file an appeal for his release.

China warns UK government to treat Chinese owners of British Steel fairly

LONDON (AP) — China warned the U.K. government Monday to treat the Chinese owners of British Steel fairly or risk undermining investor confidence in the country, two days after British authorities took control of the company. China’s Foreign Ministry made the comment as government-appointed managers raced to prevent British Steel from shutting down the last two blast furnaces in Britain that make so-called virgin steel from raw materials. Parliament on Saturday passed legislation authorizing the government to take control of the company and its Scunthorpe steelworks from Jingye Group, which has owned British Steel since 2020. Jingye still owns the company but British authorities have taken control of day-to-day operations.

Scholar spared prison in US case alleging China spies on dissidents abroad

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese American scholar convicted of spying on Chinese dissidents was spared prison time Monday by a U.S. judge. Shujun Wang was sentenced by U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin to time served and three years’ supervised release, according to attorneys. Wang has been free on bail since the day of his arrest. Wang, 76, was convicted last summer of charges including conspiring to act as an illegal foreign agent. With a story that federal prosecutors have described as akin to a spy novel, the case is part of their portfolio on what Washington views as " transnational repression " by authoritarian governments targeting critics abroad.

China’s exports jump 12.4% in March as bigger US tariff hikes loom

BANGKOK (AP) — China’s exports jumped 12.4% in March from a year earlier in a last-minute flurry of activity as companies rushed to beat increases in U.S. tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, and analysts forecast sharp setbacks ahead. Imports fell 4.3% to $211.3 billion in March, the customs administration reported, far exceeded by exports worth $313.9 billion, leaving a trade surplus of $102.6 billion. “But shipments are set to drop back over the coming months and quarters,” Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report. “We think it could be years before Chinese exports regain current levels.” China’s trade surplus surged to a record $992.2 billion in 2024 and its exports climbed 5.4%, helping to make up for sluggish growth at home as the country slowly recovers from a crisis in its property market and lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Islamabad urges Tehran’s cooperation over the killing of 8 Pakistani nationals in southeastern Iran

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Islamabad has sought Tehran’s “full cooperation” over the killing of eight Pakistani nationals in restive southeastern Iran, officials said Monday. The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement the killing happened Saturday in Mehrestan County in Sistan and Baluchistan province, about 230 kilometers (142 miles) from the Pakistan-Iran border, urging a thorough investigation. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir, wrote on X that the eight were laborers and that Islamabad and Tehran were working on facilitating the repatriation of the bodies. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. The Baluch regions across Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced an insurgency by Baluch nationalists seeking independence for more than two decades.

Hong Kong defends its immigration procedures after British MP was denied entry

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s government on Monday defended its immigration procedures after a British member of parliament was denied entry to the Chinese city last week, an incident that has prompted concerns among U.K. officials. Wera Hobhouse, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party representing Bath, on Sunday wrote on the social media platform Bluesky that authorities gave her no explanation for what she described as a “cruel and upsetting blow.” She noted that she was the first British MP to face such a situation upon arrival in the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Bangladesh arrest warrant issued for British lawmaker linked to ex-Premier Hasina

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A judge in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for British lawmaker and former government minister Tulip Siddiq, a niece of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from her 15-year rule in a mass uprising in August. The country’s Anti-Corruption Commission has been investigating allegations against Siddiq that she and her family members, including Hasina, illegally received land in a state-owned township project near the capital, Dhaka. Senior Special Judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Zakir Hossain passed the order on Sunday, after considering charges in three separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the leading Dhaka-based Bengali-language Prothom Alo newspaper reported.