ASEAN officials were conspicuously mum on the U.S. tariff issue after meetings with the United States’ top diplomat in Kuala Lumpur, despite expressing concerns among themselves days earlier. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/12/asia-pacific/politics/asean-us-trump-tariffs-trade/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #asean #southeastasia #indopacific #trade #tariffs #globaleconomy #marcorubio #donaldtrump #china

China will sign into a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready, according to Malaysia's foreign minister. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/10/asia-pacific/politics/malaysia-china-southeast-asia-nuclear-treaty/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #malaysia #china #southeastasia #nuclearweapons #asean

The global supply of heavy rare earths hinges in part on the outcome of a monthslong battle between a rebel army and the Chinese-backed military junta in the hills of northern Myanmar. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/08/asia-pacific/politics/china-rare-earth-myanmar-rebels/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #myanmar #rareearths #mining #southeastasia #china

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra being suspended raises fresh doubts about her survival, the country’s economy and the future of a dynasty that has loomed over the nation for decades. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/02/asia-pacific/politics/thai-leader-suspension-economy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #paetongtarnshinawatra #thailand #southeastasia

As data centers rapidly expand to meet surging AI-driven demand, their soaring electricity consumption largely due to cooling need is straining power systems and prompting tech giants to explore nuclear power solutions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/01/world/data-centers-southeast-asias-nuclear-dynamic/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #datacenters #southeastasia #nuclearenergy #ai #artificialintelligence #bigtech

With hot weather and a growing population, Southeast Asia is becoming a key growth market for cooling firms like Daikin. But experts warn of a vicious cycle encompassing more emissions and rising temperatures. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2025/06/29/sustainability/air-conditioning-boom-sustainability/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #environment #sustainability #cambodia #climatechange #energy #electricity #daikin #heatwaves #southeastasia #cambodiajapanrelations

Dozens of tourists and workers, some carrying children, were left stranded on Tuesday at Thailand's main land crossing with Cambodia, after the army stopped almost all border traffic in an escalating territorial dispute. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/24/asia-pacific/politics/thailand-land-crossings-cambodia/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #thailand #cambodia #southeastasia

Thailand announced a raft of security and trade measures to cripple transnational crime syndicates in Cambodia as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra seeks an upper hand in a simmering border dispute with its neighbor. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/24/asia-pacific/politics/thailand-cambodia-scam-centers-border/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #thailand #cambodia #paetongtarnshinawatra #southeastasia