Top Asian News 3:53 a.m. GMT

US-Japan security talks focus on bolstering military cooperation amid rising China threat

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for talks aimed at further bolstering their military cooperation, including by upgrading the command and control of U.S. forces and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan, amid a rising threat from China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee, known as “2+2” security talks, to reaffirm their alliance following President Joe Biden ‘s withdrawal from the November presidential race. For the first time, the ministers will hold separate talks to reaffirm the U.S.

Philippine forces sail to hotly disputed shoal without incident for first time since deal with China

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine government personnel transported food and other supplies Saturday to a fiercely disputed shoal occupied by a Filipino navy contingent but closely guarded by Beijing’s forces in the South China Sea and no confrontations were reported, Philippine officials said. It was the first Philippine government supply trip to the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the scene of increasingly violent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine forces, since the Philippines and China reached a deal a week ago to prevent clashes, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement. “The lawful and routine rotation and resupply mission within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone is a credit to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine navy and the Philippine coast guard and the close coordination among the National Security Council, Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs,” the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said, without providing other details.

The US and China air global differences as their top diplomats meet for sixth time since last year

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — The United States and China on Saturday renewed their mutual grievances as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart held their sixth meeting since last year amid an uncertain political situation in the U.S. and growing concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness in Asia and elsewhere. Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met for roughly an hour and 20 minutes on the sidelines of an annual Southeast Asian regional security forum in Vientiane, Laos, at which tensions between China and U.S. ally Philippines over disputes in the South China Sea were a prime focus of discussion.

Southeast Asia top diplomats condemn Myanmar violence, urge peaceful means to settle sea disputes

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian top diplomats on Saturday condemned violence in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war and urged for “practical” means to defuse rising tensions in the South China Sea during the last of the three-day regional talks with allies including the U.S., Russia and China. Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith of Laos, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), hailed dialogue partners for “frank, candid and constructive exchanges” on key issues revolving around regional security. The weekend talks in the Laotian capital were dominated by the increasingly violent and destabilizing civil war in ASEAN-member Myanmar as well as maritime disputes of some of the bloc members with China, which have led to direct confrontations that many worry could lead to broader conflict.

Justice Department says TikTok collected US user views on issues like abortion and gun control

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. Government lawyers wrote in documents filed late Friday to the federal appeals court in Washington that TikTok and its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance used an internal web-suite system called Lark to enable TikTok employees to speak directly with ByteDance engineers in China. TikTok employees used Lark to send sensitive data about U.S. users, information that has wound up being stored on Chinese servers and accessible to ByteDance employees in China, federal officials said.

Japan’s Sado gold mine gains UNESCO status after Tokyo pledges to exhibit dark WWII history

TOKYO (AP) — The UNESCO World Heritage committee on Saturday decided to register Japan’s controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site after the country agreed to include it in an exhibit of its dark history of abusing Korean laborers during World War II. The decision signals an improvement in ties between Tokyo and Seoul. The mine on an island off the coast of Niigata in northern Japan operated for nearly 400 years and was once the world’s largest gold producer before closing in 1989. It was also linked to Japan’s wartime abuse of Korean laborers. Committee members, including South Korea, gave unanimous support to the listing at Saturday’s annual meeting in New Delhi, India.

Two Japanese climbers have gone missing while trying to scale K2 in Pakistan, officials say

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Two Japanese climbers went missing on Saturday while attempting to scale K2, the world’s second-highest mountain in northern Pakistan, officials said, the fourth such incident in less than two months. The latest incident happened when the pair fell from a height of 7,500 meters (24,605-foot) while trying to ascent the 8,611-meter (28,250-foot) high K2, which is also referred to as the “killer mountain,” a regional officer, Waliullah Falahi told The Associated Press by phone. Two Pakistan army helicopters quickly launched a search and rescue operation but they could not pluck the Japanese because the men didn’t make any move, Falahi said.

The Philippines says a cargo of oil has started to leak from a tanker that sank in Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The cargo of industrial fuel oil on a tanker that sank in stormy weather in Manila Bay has started to leak in small amounts, the Philippine coast guard said Saturday. Authorities were scrambling to start a delicate undersea operation to siphon off the highly toxic shipment from the sunken vessel, which has remained intact, to avert a major environmental crisis. The 65-meter (213-foot) tanker Terra Nova sank was carrying about 1.4 million liters (370,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil stored in watertight tanks when it got lashed by huge waves, apparently developed engine trouble then took on water after leaving Bataan province west of Manila for a domestic trip.

Singing, ceremonies and straw hats: Olympics opening ceremony in Tahiti centers Polynesian culture

PAPARA, Tahiti (AP) — Tahitian dancers in palm-leaf skirts mingled with Olympic surfers, locals and tourists as the opening ceremony for the Summer Games commenced in French Polynesia on Friday morning, some 10,000 miles away from the main ceremony in Paris. “The people of Tahiti, we are all enchanted to have these Olympics games here and to welcome all our friends from all over the world,” President of French Polynesia Moetai Brotherson told The Associated Press. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. All the world is looking at us for this mighty wave.” Just steps from the ocean and set against the lush green mountains of Tahiti, the event was heavily centered on Polynesian culture: Visitors were welcomed with traditional Tahitian singing, dancing and ceremonies.

Nita Ambani inaugurates India House, a first for the country at the Olympics

PARIS (AP) — Fresh off the year’s most extravagant wedding, Nita Ambani inaugurated the India House for the Paris Olympics on Saturday. The first of its kind at an Olympic Games for India, the temporary house is meant to promote Indian culture as the country aspires to host the 2036 Games. The endeavor was born from the partnership between the Indian Olympic Association and the Reliance Foundation, which Ambani founded and chairs. “Today we gather here at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 to open the doors to a dream. A dream that belongs to 1.4 billion Indians. A dream to bring India to the Olympics and our shared dream to bring the Olympics to India,” Ambani, an International Olympic Committee member, said in her address.