Can the Squad revitalise Asia-Pacific security amid China's rise, Trump's erratic stance?
The spotlight is back on the so-called Squad minilateral grouping of nations aimed at countering
China 's influence in the Asia-Pacific, after
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the bloc as the most 'strategically positioned to manifest deterrence'.
Observers, however, are mixed on such a stance, pointing to Washington's transactional approach and seemingly erratic policy shifts under President
Donald Trump , warning there may be 'little appetite' in focusing on the group.
In his summit opening remarks, Hegseth underscored the Squad's potential to 'bring about peace' amid 'an unprecedented military build-up by China.' In a joint statement following the forum, the defence chiefs expressed concerns about Beijing's actions in the East and
South China Seas
Before forming last year, security chiefs from the future Squad members met for the first time in June 2023 on the sidelines of the
Shangri-La Dialogue , amid ongoing naval skirmishes between China and the Philippines.
Their defence forces have also conducted joint maritime activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
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HKFP
3 hours ago
- HKFP
Taiwan pursues homegrown Chinese spies as Beijing intensifies espionage
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Lai, an outspoken defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and loathed by Beijing, has branded China a 'foreign hostile force' and sought to raise public awareness about Chinese actions he says threaten national security. After a sharp rise in the number of people prosecuted for spying for China in recent years, the government is trying to identify people within its own departments, military and public schools with a possible allegiance to Beijing. Anyone on the public service payroll found with Chinese residence or other identification cards risks losing their Taiwanese household registration, effectively their citizenship. 'The reason we started to survey (for Chinese IDs) is because China uses this way to coerce Taiwanese people, to penetrate our system, especially the public service,' DPP lawmaker Wang Ting-yu told AFP. 'The threat is getting worse and worse and we have to deal with that.' 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'I personally feel that it's a bit disturbing for the people,' said Li I-ching, a 23-year-old graduate student in Taipei, who was born in China to a Chinese mother and a Taiwanese father. Like many others, Li has to obtain evidence from China that she no longer holds permanent residence status. The Beijing-friendly main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT) has accused the government of conducting 'loyalty' tests. 'At a time when our country is facing so many difficulties… the government is only thinking about how to cleanse the population,' said KMT lawmaker Chen Yu-jen. The dispute between Taiwan and China dates back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist forces lost the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's communist fighters and fled to the island. China has vowed to annex Taiwan and in recent years has ramped up its military pressure on the island. Taiwan says China also uses disinformation, cyberattacks and espionage to weaken its defences. 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South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
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South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What's next - Xia Baolong speaks on national security law's fifth anniversary
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP's journalism by subscribing . New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Beijing's point man on Hong Kong affairs is addressing a national security law forum on Saturday as part of his third inspection visit to the city to assess its progress on multiple fronts. Xia Baolong's attendance at the forum, which is being held to mark the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed legislation, is a focus of the official's five-day visit. Commentators have suggested that the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) director may use the event to share his latest assessment of national security threats in the city and lay down the direction for the next phase of the law's implementation. More from our coverage: Reporting by Jeffie Lam, Jess Ma and Willa Wu.
