MONTH IN BRIEF – June & July 2025
MONTH IN BRIEF
Beijing’s ‘Golden Dome’ concerns
China has expressed grave concerns over the US’s Golden Dome missile defence shield project and urged Washington to abandon its development. US President Trump said he had selected a design for the US$175 bn project and named a Space Force general to head the programme, aimed at obstructing threats from China and Russia.When quizzed about the project at a regular press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said it has ‘strong offensive implications’ and heightens the risks of the militarisation of outer space and an arms race.
Maoists shot dead by Indian forces
Indian commandos have shot dead at least 25 Maoist rebels in central India, as security forces increaseattempts to end the long-running conflict.India is waging a full-onassault against the last remains of the Naxalite rebellion, named after the Himalayan village where the Maoist-inspired guerilla movement began nearly sixty years ago.More than 12,000 rebels, soldiers and civilians have died since a handful of villagers rose up against their feudal lords there in 1967.At its peak in the mid-2000s, the rebellion controlled nearly a third of India with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fighters.
ASEAN in talks with Beijing, Gulf states
The leaders of Southeast Asian nationshave been holding talks in Kuala Lumpurwith Chinese Premier Li Qiang and dignitaries from the Gulf Cooperation Council, in a bid toprotect their economies from geopolitical uncertainty, in particularpunishing tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Although Mr Trump did then instigate a 90-day pause for most countries, the experience has led ASEAN to increase efforts to diversify its trading networks.ASEAN has traditionally served as a go-between between developed economies like the US, and China, but Washington’s growing unreliability means ASEAN member states are looking to diversify.
Taiwan leader’s rare omission
In a May 20 speech to mark his first anniversary in office, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te– whom Beijing has labelled a ‘dangerous separatist’ – surprisingly made no mention of China or cross-strait relations.This is in stark contrast to his 2024 inauguration speech, when he referenced China seven times and implied China and Taiwan are two separate countries. The wording and the number of times a Taiwan presidentrefers to China is always closely watched in a speech like this, so Mr Lai’s failure to mention it at all is very unusual. By deliberately avoiding the subject, hemay have been seeking to give Beijing no further reason to hold him responsible for escalating cross-strait tensions.
Blame game
At least three children were among five people killed when a suicide bomber targeted an army school bus in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, in an attack Islamabad has blamed on Indian proxies. Around 40 students were on the bus that was headed to an army-run school and several have sustained injuries, said Mr Yasir Iqbal, the administrator of Khuzdar district, where the incident took place. Pakistan’s military and PM Shehbaz Sharif swiftly released statements condemning the violence and accusing ‘Indian terror proxies’ of involvement in the attack, though they did not share any evidence linking the attack to New Delhi.
Philippines, US joint maritime drills in South China Sea
Coast guard vessels of the Philippines and the United States have, for the first time, participated in joint maritime exercises with naval and air force units in the contested South China Sea. The exercises, held on May 20 in waters off Palawan and Occidental Mindoro, involved the Philippine Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, alongside the US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.The maritime cooperative activity, or MCA, which was the second this year and the sixth overall since the allies launched the joint activities in 2023, included communication drills and search-and-rescue scenarios.
‘Everest Man’ breaks own summit record
A 55-year-ol dclimber from Nepal, dubbed the ‘Everest Man’, has summited the world’s highest mountain a record 31times.On May 27, more than 30 years after his first summit, Kami Rita Sherpamade an ascent to the top of Everest for the 31st time – the highest number of ascents by anyone in history.Mr Sherpa first stood on the top of Mount Everest in 1994 when working for a commercial expedition.Since then, he has climbed the peak almost every year, guiding clients.
Elephant road rage
Wild elephants have destroyed a vehicle in Malaysia during a rampage believed to have been caused by the sound of tooting car horns. The May 20 incident happened near KM11 of the Gerik-Jeli highway – the same road where an elephant calf was killed by a lorry earlier in May. In this latest episode, when the driver spotted a herd of elephants crossing the highway, he stopped his car and turned off his headlights. But the sound of another vehicle’s horn is believed to have caused three elephants to approach the car. The terrified driver quickly exited his car and did not sustain any injuries, though his car was severely damaged by the animals.