Tokyo, Quad meeting on Beijing's interference in the South China Sea

Today's news: new economic cooperation agreements between Italy and China; Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, flights to and from Beirut suspended; Myanmar, control of ethnic militias in Shan State strengthens; In Turkmenistan, difficulties in obtaining credit.

JAPAN-QUAD

The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, the countries that make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) have expressed concern over the situation in the South China Sea, referring to maritime clashes between Chinese and Filipino ships and promising to strengthen military cooperation. The statement was issued following a meeting in Tokyo today.

ITALY-CHINA

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised to revive relations with Beijing: after meeting Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Meloni signed a three-year plan to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. Last year, Italy withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative saying that Chinese investments had not brought any benefits.

LEBANON-ISRAEL

Many flights to and from Beirut airport were cancelled due to rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese airline Middle East Airlines explained, following Saturday's attack on the Golan Heights in which 12 boys died. Israel and the United States accused Hezbollah, which instead denied any responsibility.

MYANMAR

After the recapture of the town of Lashio in Shan State by one of the ethnic militias fighting against the coup army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), troops of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) also entered the town. The USWA is a very powerful ethnic militia with close ties to China, but has declared that it will maintain a neutral stance in the fighting between the army and the resistance.

BANGLADESH

The Bangladesh government restored internet connections yesterday after protests in recent weeks, but restrictions on access to social platforms remain. The groups of university students who had started the demonstrations (initially against reserved quotas in government jobs, then against the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) made it known that they will resume their protests if their leaders are not released from prison.

TURKMENISTAN

Banks in Turkmenistan are increasingly refusing to grant loans to citizens, due to increasingly frequent defaults by customers, as reported by anonymous banking sources in Ašgabat, according to which defaulters are put on a black list that is getting longer and longer, so that even those who are not on it are refused credit.

RUSSIA

The Russian coal industry is on the verge of survival, with a negative balance in the first half of 2024 of almost 200 billion roubles less than the previous year, as the Gajdar Institute reports, due to widespread de-carbonisation. It is precisely the countries closest to Moscow, such as China, India and Turkey, that have reduced their purchases.