China’s aviation regulator in April gave three dozen airlines a May 25 deadline to remove references on their websites or in other material that suggest Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are part of countries independent from China, a move described by the White House as “Orwellian nonsense”. Source: South China Morning Post
A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, U.S. officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tensions with Beijing. Source: Reuters
- South Korea’s economy unexpectedly shrank in the first quarter, marking its worst performance since the global financial crisis;
- The contraction reinforced financial market views that the central bank is likely to make a U-turn on policy, shifting to an easing stance and possibly cutting interest rates.
Poland and Germany have suspended imports of Russian oil via a major pipeline, citing poor quality, triggering a rare crisis over supply from the world’s second-largest crude exporter. Source: The Moscow Times
