Latest East Asia News & Updates

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday announced the appointment of senior diplomat Pranay Verma as India’s next Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, with concurrent accreditation to the European Union.In a press release, the MEA said, “Shri Pranay Verma (IFS:1994), presently High Commissioner of India to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Belgium. He will also be accredited as Ambass…

Seoul, March 21 (IANS) South Korea is in close talks with countries, including Iran, to ensure a swift normalisation of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it is ready to allow Japan-bound vessels to pass through the sea route virtually closed in the wake of the Middle East crisis, a foreign ministry official said on Saturday.”The government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East while exploring ways to protect our citizens and secure energy transport routes,” the official said…

Seoul, March 21 (IANS) South Korea is in close talks with countries, including Iran, to ensure a swift normalisation of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it is ready to allow Japan-bound vessels to pass through the sea route virtually closed in the wake of the Middle East crisis, a foreign ministry official said on Saturday.”The government is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East while exploring ways to protect our citizens and secure energy transport routes,” the official said…

Tokyo, Feb 24 (IANS) China’s policy towards Japan is not merely a tactical misstep but a “strategic blunder” rooted in a misunderstanding of how influence is shaped and consolidated in Asia. By viewing Japan primarily as an adversarial player instead of a competitive partner within a shared regional framework, Beijing is limiting its own strategic options, a report said on Tuesday.“China’s approach towards Japan has reached an inflection point in the past few months since the autumn of 202…

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) The United States on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting what it described as Iran’s “shadow fleet,” as Washington moved to further restrict revenue streams it says are being used to repress the Iranian people and finance destabilising activities abroad.The Treasury imposed sanctions on eight entities and nine vessels involved in transporting Iranian petroleum and petroleum products, including liquefied petroleum gas.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen…

New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) India is working to expand the global reach of its homegrown digital payment system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), to more countries, with a special focus on East Asia, Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju said on Tuesday.Speaking at the Global Inclusive Finance India Summit here, Nagaraju said UPI has played a key role in driving India’s digital payments growth and now accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all digital transactions in the country.He added that the …