ASEAN-China special summit set for November 22

13 Sept 13:46 Key points summarised by AI

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Chinese President Xi Jinping will co-chair a special ASEAN-China summit on November 22nd, marking their 30th anniversary and signaling China's increased focus on the region.
ASEAN recently granted China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) status, underscoring the deepening bilateral relations.
ASEAN has become China's largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$732 billion last year, showcasing strong economic ties despite global disruptions.
Discussions on the Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea are ongoing, with Cambodia planning a face-to-face working group meeting next year.
Myanmar, as the new coordinating country for ASEAN-China relations, will send a senior non-political official to the summit after its absence from previous meetings.

Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package: Myanmar govt

Yesterday 03:08 Key points summarised by AI

Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two gardening books, a sealed envelope, and diplomatic communication.
The event marked the first release of images of Suu Kyi in two months and saw Myanmar authorities describe her as a "special female prisoner" for the first time.
Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a 2021 military coup that triggered an ongoing civil war, remains under house arrest on charges that rights groups contend are politically motivated.