Southeast Asia scam hubs, China’s traditional crafts revival: 5 weekend reads you missed
From gangs in Thailand and Myanmar targeting Chinese nationals to Lunar New Year flower sales, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.
In a Thai jail, crime kingpin who claims he spied for China ‘fears for his life’
Lawyers for She Zhijiang, who is fighting extradition to China, say the Chinese national can no longer walk after being ‘brutally’ attacked.
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Southeast Asia at the crossroads of Trump tariffs 2.0
Southeast Asia faces a critical turning point as Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten to reshape the region’s role in global supply chains.
A Chinese actor’s kidnapping reignites fears over travelling to Southeast Asia, and renews concerns over scam centers run by criminal gangs
Users on Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu asked if it was safe to travel to Thailand while a Hong Kong singer-actor canceled his Bangkok concert.
The slow fight for same-sex marriage in Asia
Thailand joins Nepal and Taiwan as the only Asian nations to legalise LGBT unions, amid repressive regimes and religious traditions
Is China Really Powerless to Stop the ‘Scamdemic’? The Truth Is More Complex
Following his ordeal, China’s embassies in Thailand and Myanmar have warned their citizens to beware of recruitment scams, while the state-run China Daily published an opinion piece warning that lawlessness “could undermine the confidence of Chinese tourists in neighboring countries.
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Southeast Asian elites resist a China-led regional order
The survey shows that regional elites prefer ASEAN to lead Southeast Asia over China or the United States. Most respondents regard ASEAN as more influential and higher ranking than either of the two major powers. Though Chinese influence is substantial, it is not preeminent, with only Thai respondents regarding China as most influential.
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Gambling tycoon abused in Thai jail after saying he spied for China, lawyers say
A jailed gambling tycoon fighting extradition to China received "inhumane treatment" in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life.
China Pushes Neighboring Countries to Rein In Scams After Rare Public Outcry
The abduction of a young Chinese actor, who was trafficked from Thailand to Myanmar, prompted an unusually powerful public-pressure campaign and official actions.
Detained tycoon She Zhijiang, who says he spied for China, alleges abuse in Thai jail
A jailed gambling tycoon fighting extradition to China received "inhumane treatment" in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life.
Thailand and China to set up coordination centre to combat scam call networks
Thailand and China will work together to combat fast-growing networks of illegal call centres along the Thai border with Myanmar and Cambodia, often staffed by trafficked workers, that aim to defraud people in phone and online scams.
Southeast Asia foreign ministers seek breakthrough in Myanmar conflict and South China Sea dispute
Southeast Asian foreign ministers met this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea