Asia
Taiwan Receives Its First Two F-16V Block 70 Fighter Jets From the US, Years Behind Schedule
Two new F-16V Block 70 fighters landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on October 2, the first of 66 jets Taiwan ordered from the United States in 2019. More are due before the end of the year.
Asia
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Wonsan a Day After Kim Yo Jong Rejects Seoul’s Demand for an Apology
North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the sea on Saturday morning, South Korea and Japan said. A day earlier Kim Yo Jong rejected Seoul's demand for an apology over a landmine blast in the DMZ.
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Asia
China’s Factory Activity Returns to Growth in September as Official PMI Rises to 50.1, but Input Costs Jump
China's official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in September, ending two months of contraction, and services also returned to growth. A private survey hit a five-month high, but input prices jumped and hiring stayed weak.
Asia
North Korea Tells UN Its Nuclear Status Is ‘Irreversible’ as Seoul Blames Pyongyang’s Mines for DMZ Blast
North Korea told the UN General Assembly its nuclear status 'can never be reversed', while South Korea's military said North Korean landmines very likely caused a DMZ explosion that seriously injured two of its soldiers.
East Asia
China Proposes Mandatory ‘Minor Mode’ for Under-16s, With Face Checks Among Age-Verification Tools
China's cyberspace regulator has proposed rules requiring games, social media, AI services and phones to automatically switch under-16 users into 'minor mode', using ID checks, non-stored facial recognition and behaviour analysis to identify them. Comments close on October 17.
Business
China’s Industrial Profit Growth Slows to 4.2% in August as AI-Driven Electronics Boom Masks Weak Demand
Profits at China's major industrial firms rose 15.7% in January-August to 5.27 trillion yuan, but August growth slowed to 4.2%. Electronics profits more than doubled on AI demand and drove 62% of the gain, while utilities and consumer sectors lagged.
East Asia
Trump-Xi Summit Ends With Farm Deal and Truce Into 2027, but Taiwan and Chips Unresolved
Xi Jinping's US state visit ended with a limited deal on farm goods and medical devices and a truce extended to January 10, 2027. Taiwan, chips and rare earths remain unresolved.
Business
US, China Extend Trade Truce to January 10 Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
The US and China extended their trade truce by two months to January 10, 2027, giving negotiators more time to pursue a broader economic agreement.
Technology
Alibaba Unveils Zhenwu V900 AI Chip and Qwen 4 Roadmap
Alibaba says its new Zhenwu V900 is China’s most powerful AI chip and that next-generation Qwen 4 is in training, with models planned at up to 10 trillion parameters.
Asia
South Korea Proposes Step-by-Step Path to Denuclearisation
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used his UN address to outline a phased approach: halt further nuclear advances, reduce capabilities, then pursue denuclearisation.
Asia
South Korea Exports Hit $71.4 Billion in September 1–20 as Chip Shipments Surge
South Korea exported $71.4 billion in the first 20 days of September, led by record chip shipments, customs data show. The figures are provisional, not full-month totals.
World
Xi Jinping to Visit US September 23–25 for Trump Talks: What Is Confirmed
China confirms Xi Jinping will visit the US September 23–25 for talks with President Trump. Here is what is officially known and what remains unannounced.
Technology
US-China AI Safety Talks: Bessent Proposes Alerts for National-Security Incidents
Washington has proposed a channel to notify Beijing about serious AI incidents. The New York talks have not yet produced a detailed joint safety agreement.
Asia
South Korea Plans First Approval of Abortion Pills in 2027: What the Phased Rollout Means
South Korea plans its first regulated abortion-pill approval in 2027, with hospital-only access initially and safety reviews before rollout.
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Asia
Asia Briefing, 4 October: PTI Marches on Islamabad, Taiwan Gets Its First F-16Vs, Vietnam Grows 9.95% and Indonesia Reshuffles Its Cabinet
The main stories from across Asia on Sunday, 4 October 2026: Pakistan’s opposition march, Taiwan’s first F-16V jets, Vietnam’s fastest growth in four years, Indonesia’s cabinet reshuffle, Kazakhstan’s AI pitch and more.
Artificial Intelligence
Kazakhstan’s Tokayev Backs Trump’s AI Accord as a ‘Washington Model’, Says It Could Become the Core of a UN Treaty
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has endorsed the voluntary AI safety accord signed at the White House and suggested it could form the core of an international treaty under the UN. Kazakhstan plans to bring proposals to the G20 summit in December.
Asia
Indonesia’s Prabowo Names Career Diplomat Arrmanatha Nasir Foreign Minister, Replaces Police Chief and Revives a 26-Member Advisory Council
President Prabowo Subianto has reshuffled his cabinet, moving Sugiono out of the foreign ministry and appointing career diplomat Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir. A day later he swore in a 26-member Presidential Advisory Council.
Asia
Taiwan Receives Its First Two F-16V Block 70 Fighter Jets From the US, Years Behind Schedule
Two new F-16V Block 70 fighters landed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung on October 2, the first of 66 jets Taiwan ordered from the United States in 2019. More are due before the end of the year.