Week in Focus: Trade Tensions Hit China Stocks, Erdogan Wins Turkey Election
What you need to know
A weekly roundup of the region's most important news.
China:
Last month, scientists disclosed a global pollution mystery: a surprise rise in emissions of an outlawed industrial gas that destroys the atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. — The New York Times
Donald Trump’s escalating trade war has managed to hit at least one of its intended victims – China. The nation’s stocks just suffered their worst month of losses since January 2016, when a bout of turmoil triggered a global market rout. — Quartz Media
China has spent nearly five years steering an ever-growing stream of hundreds of billions of dollars to a bold plan to gain greater global influence by funding big projects across Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. However, now Beijing is starting to tap the brakes. — The New York Times
The State Department has evacuated at least 11 Americans from China after abnormal sounds or sensations were reported by government employees at the United States Consulate in the southern city of Guangzhou, officials said, deepening a mystery that has so far confounded investigators. — The New York Times
China and Russia, apparently seeking to exploit an American wish to lower spending at the United Nations, want to cut more than 200 jobs related to human rights and the prevention of sexual abuse in the organization’s peacekeeping missions, according to diplomats and budget-negotiation documents. — The New York Times
China will not give up "any inch of territory" in the Pacific Ocean, President Xi Jinping told US Defense Secretary James Mattis Wednesday during a visit to Beijing. — CNN
Australia:
A dozen Australian politicians were treated to lavish overseas trips paid for by a Chinese technology company that has been dogged in the West by questions about security and privacy, according to a report released on Tuesday, raising new concerns about Chinese efforts to influence Australia’s lawmakers.— The New York Times
Australia approved sweeping national security legislation on Thursday (June 28) that bans foreign interference in politics, stiffens the punishment for leaking classified information and makes it a crime to damage Australia’s economic relations with another country. — The New York Times
Turkey:
With his victory in Sunday’s elections, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken his place among the world’s emerging class of strongman rulers, nailing down the sweeping powers he has insisted he needs to address Turkey’s numerous challenges, at home and abroad. Now, Erdogan faces Turkey’s troubled economy. — The New York Times
Hong Kong:
A shooting in which a woman gunned down four of her relatives, killing two, has rattled Hong Kong, a city where such crimes are exceptionally rare. — South China Morning Post
South Korea:
South Korea will for the first time allow conscientious objectors to do some form of community service instead of the two years of military service that all men have to do. — Reuters
Mexican football fans have been wildly cheering another team – South Korea. — BBC
Japan:
Japan's Princess Ayako has become the second Japanese princess in two years to announce she's marrying a commoner, a move that will force her to renounce her royal status. — CNN
One of Japan’s most prominent bloggers has been stabbed to death minutes after giving a seminar on how to resolve personal disputes on the internet. — The Guardian
Philippines:
Disparaging remarks about God by President Rodrigo Duterte have led to his sharpest clash yet with leaders of the Philippines’ politically powerful Roman Catholic Church, who on Tuesday accused him of attacking the beliefs held by the vast majority of the country. — The New York Times
India:
India is the most dangerous country in the world to be a woman because of the high risk of sexual violence and slave labor, a new survey of experts shows. — CNN
Thailand:
Police have begun dropping survival packages into a flooded Thai cave complex where 12 boys and their football coach are missing, in the hope the group may find them. — The Independent
Saudi Arabia:
Women have been allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia for less than a week but this young rapper and director wasted no time. — BBC
Malaysia:
It was, police said, the single largest haul in Malaysian history: up to 1.1 billion ringgit (US$274 million) worth of handbags, luxury watches and jewelry seized from residences linked to former leader Najib Razak as part of a sweeping investigation into alleged money laundering. — Wall Street Journal
Myanmar:
Under pressure from Canada and the European Union, the Myanmar military on Monday dismissed a general who is alleged to have led a brutal campaign against Rohingya Muslims last year. It was an unexpected move, one that suggests the military may be prepared to accept some measure of accountability for the crisis. — The Washington Post
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Editor: David Green