MONTH IN BRIEF – MARCH 2025
MONTH IN BRIEF
Provocation in Taiwan Strait
China’s military has held ‘shooting training’ off the south-west coast of Taiwan in a move Taipei has branded as provocative and dangerous, while a senior Chinese leader vowed steadfast efforts to bring the island under Beijing’s control.Democratically governed Taiwan, which Beijingregards as Chinese territory, has repeatedly complained of Chinese military activities, including several rounds of full-scale war games over the past three years.In this latest activity, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected 32 Chinese military aircraft carrying out a ‘joint combat readiness drill’ with Chinese warships in the Taiwan Strait area.
Historic trade
Bangladesh has resumed direct trade with Pakistan for the first time since its independence in 1971, after a bloody nine-month war. The first shipment of 50,000 tonnes of rice left Port Qasim in Karachi under a government-to-government deal. The deal follows an improvement in diplomatic relations since an interim government in Bangladesh led by Muhammad Yunus took over, in the wake of protests that drove then PM Sheikh Hasina from the country. The new agreement, finalised in February, sees Bangladesh purchasing white rice from Pakistan at US$499 (S$668) per ton through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.
Pyongyang denounces denuclearisation pledge
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has said the country will continue to boost its nuclear force as it condemned a recent joint pledge by the United States, South Korea and Japan for its denuclearisation. On Feb. 15, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese FM Takeshi Iwaya held talks on the sidelines of the Munich security conference and issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to North Korea’s complete denuclearisation. But Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry criticised the countries for pursuing an ‘outdated, absurd’ plan, warning against what it called ‘foolish acts inciting collective hostility and conflicts’.
Taliban detentions
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have detained two Britons, a Chinese-American and their Afghan translator, the Interior Ministry has confirmed, after the daughter of the British couple called on London to secure their release.A spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that ‘efforts are underway to resolve this issue’, although he refused to confirm the identities of the detainees, or give further details on the reasons for their arrests. These are not the first foreigners to be detained by the Taliban: two Americans and a former Canadian soldier were released in January after deals were negotiated, while two other Americansare still being held in the country.
Spat over Spratly reef
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that China stands in firm opposition to Vietnam’s construction activities on a disputed islet in the South China Sea known as the Barque Canada Reef. The reef in the Spratly Islands, occupied by Vietnam since the 1980s, is claimed by several countries in a dispute that has intensified as China and the United States vie for influence in Vietnam. Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told journalists that the reef is ‘part of China’s territory’, adding that Beijing has always opposed the ‘illegal occupation’ of islands and reefs.
Student clashes in Bangladesh
Violent clashes at a university campus in Bangladesh have led to more than 150 students being injured, marking a serious conflict between groups that played a leading role in last year’s national revolution. The Feb. 18 skirmishes began after the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party tried to recruit students at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology in the country’s southwest. That incited a confrontation with campus members of Students Against Discrimination, a protest group which led the uprising that ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Master of his destiny
A South Korean student with muscular dystrophy, which has left him paralysed except for his eye movements and speech, has earned a Master’s degree, writing his thesis by blinking one letter at a time. Jang Ik-seon, 37, was diagnosed at the age of five with the incurable condition that weakens and degenerates muscles. It gradually eroded his ability to move but, despite this, he pursued his education relentlessly. For his Master’s thesis, he used an eye-tracking mouse – a device that translates eye movements into cursor commands – and typed every single word, letter by letter, by blinking. His research focused on the right to life for people with muscle disorders.
Train tragedy for Lankan elephants
A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed on Feb. 20 after crashing into a family of elephants, with no passengers injured but six animals killed in the South Asian island’s worst such wildlife accident.The express train was travelling near a wildlife reserve at Habarana, 110 mileseast of the capital Colombo, when it hit the herd crossing the line before dawn.Wildlife authorities were treating two elephants who survived the collision, said police.Videos shot after the accident showed one elephant standing guard over an injured youngster lying beside the tracks, with the tips of their trunks curled together.Killing or harming elephants is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka, which has an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, with the animals considered a national treasure, partly due to their significance in Buddhist culture.