Dear ST reader,
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near Taiwan’s eastern county of Hualien on April 3 morning. The island’s strongest quake in 25 years has killed at least 10 people and injured more than 1,000. Rescuers on April 4 are working to reach scores of people trapped in highway tunnels.
With train services to Hualien resuming on April 4, Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee will give on-the-ground coverage of the situation.
Meanwhile, it’s a calmer mood over US-China relations. A 105-minute phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 2 pointed to maturing bilateral ties. Some US analysts noted that China had appeared to soften its stance towards the US recently despite aggressive military patrols across the Taiwan Strait and frequent confrontations in the South China Sea.
Nato on April 4 celebrates 75 years of seeking to ensure the collective defence of its member states – 32 of them now – through political and military means. However, Nato faces not only a growing sense of US isolationism from overseas military commitments, but also the fact that the world’s centre of gravity is moving away from Europe to Asia, which means the alliance can no longer command Washington’s undivided attention.
As some in Asia mark Qing Ming festival on April 4, Assistant Foreign Editor Ho Ai Li contemplates how little many of us know of our ancestors and how we are too busy to keep in touch with our extended kin.
Have you watched the new Netflix sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem or read the critically acclaimed book? China Correspondent Lim Min Zhang examines how it has propelled China’s sci-fi scene. The Chinese government sees the potential for the genre to spread soft power and as a necessary component in its drive to become a science and technology powerhouse.
Taiwan quake: Terrifying episode as Taipei rattles
105-minute Biden-Xi call points to maturing US-China ties
The phone call will likely set the tone for what is to follow – a burst of high-level visits.
More on US-China ties:
China edges out US as S-E Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS survey
Beijing stepping up efforts to communicate its ideas, says senior diplomat Liu Jianchao
More than assurances will be needed to revive FDI into China
Netanyahu making it hard for Israel’s friends to sustain their support
Low-key Laos has a shot at proving critics wrong
BJP wades into music award row in bid to woo upper-caste voters in Tamil Nadu
Doomsday, aliens and censors: Three-Body Problem propels China’s sci-fi scene
