Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said new energy cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expanding, especially in the sector of new energy vehicles, while attending the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with China in the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday.
The foreign ministers of ASEAN and its dialog partners, including China, met to deepen ties, or in some cases, to try to defuse tensions.
ASEAN and China enjoy ever-strengthening economic ties, but also have some disputes, especially over the South China Sea.
But at least in the public portion of the ASEAN plus China meeting, the two parties focused on the positives, with ASEAN and China remaining as each others' biggest trading partners.
"In 2023, Chinese brands accounted for 67 percent of electric vehicle sales in ASEAN. The cooperation in clean energy, including wind power, hydropower and solar power, keeps expanding," he said.
A representative from Myanmar took part in the meetings, for the first time since the military seized power in 2021.
ASEAN had insisted Myanmar could only send a civilian representative, which the Southeast Asian country has finally agreed to do as it looks to reduce its isolation.
"Well, usually ASEAN's decision-making is hampered by its desire to reach a consensus. But in this Myanmar issue, I would say it's a very rare uniform voice," said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
Also on Friday, Wang met with his counterparts from Britain, South Korea and Japan, seeking common ground, while not shying away from raising difficult issues.
Saturday sees the meetings of the big regional groupings, the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum, which bring together more than two dozen countries.
China-ASEAN new energy cooperation expanding: Chinese FM
China-ASEAN new energy cooperation expanding: Chinese FM
The Trump administration's move to cut public funding for the Voice of America (VOA), a propaganda tool for the U.S. government, is due to competing interests and struggles between different political factions, a Chinese expert said during an interview on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump on March 14 signed an executive order, which listed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent agency of VOA, as part of "unnecessary" federal bureaucracy.
More than 1,300 VOA employees, including journalists, producers and assistants, were reportedly placed on administrative leave on Saturday.
Diao Daming, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, shared his insights on why Trump halted funding for the agency during his second term.
"He feels that VOA has not effectively fulfilled its mission to make the United States great again and serve the country's interests. On the other hand, public opinion institutions under the USAGM, including VOA, have been openly critical of Trump, his team, and his administration, particularly regarding certain policies during his first term. After assuming office for a second term, Trump swiftly implemented this tough measure, which is evidently influenced by competing interests and struggles between different political factions," said Diao.
Founded in 1942, the VOA has long served as a political tool for the U.S. government, engaging in ideological confrontation and shaping public opinion. For over 80 years, regardless of whether the Democratic or Republican Party was in power, funding for institutions like VOA remained uninterrupted.
Experts described the VOA as a propaganda machine aimed at ideological infiltration in certain regions, as many of its programs are inaccessible within the United States and are instead broadcast exclusively to specific countries abroad.
"In the past, when I served as a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, I encountered VOA reporters at domestic events, international conferences, and various occasions. They would, for example, selectively ask questions during interviews, selectively edit our responses, and then selectively report and broadcast them. Given such practices, how much credibility can VOA really have?" said Yang Yujun, dean of the Academy of Media and Public Affairs at the Communication University of China.
Trump's cut to VOA due to struggles between different political factions: expert
