PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN COLOMBO AS SRI LANKA’S NEW PRESIDENT TRIES TO SAVE THE ECONOMY.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO VOA ASIA WEEKLY. I’M YOUR HOST, JESSICA STONE IN WASHINGTON DC. THAT STORY COMING UP….BUT FIRST…

US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING ARE EXPECTED TO SPEAK BY PHONE THURSDAY. THIS COMES AS HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI PREPARES FOR A POSSIBLE VISIT TO TAIWAN. PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID THE U.S. MILITARY DOES NOT WANT HER TO GO BEIJING HAS PLEDGED TO RESPOND FORCEFULLY IF SHE DOES.

THE MOST SENIOR US GENERAL — MARK MILLEY — MET WITH OTHER INDO-PACIFIC MILITARY LEADERS IN AUSTRALIA THIS WEEK. MILLEY’S TRIP IS FOCUSED ON CHINA’S ACCELERATING MILITARY GROWTH AND THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A FREE, OPEN AND PEACEFUL INDO-PACIFIC.

CAROLINE KENNEDY - THE NEW US AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA - HAS BEGUN HER FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB. NEXT WEEK, SHE JOINS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY SHERMAN ON A HIGH PROFILE DIPLOMATIC VISIT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. IN MAY, THE ISLANDS SIGNED A SECURITY PACT WITH BEIJING.

IN HIS FIRST STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS JUNIOR VOWED TO SLASH POVERTY, REIN IN SOARING FOOD PRICES AND BOOST RENEWABLE ENERGY.

ON MONDAY, MYANMAR'S MILITARY AUTHORITIES EXECUTED FOUR DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS. THE MEN WERE SENTENCE TO DEATH IN JANUARY AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF HELPING TO CARRY OUT "TERROR ACTS" AGAINST THE ARMY THAT SEIZED POWER IN A COUP LAST YEAR.

JAPAN HAS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL DEFENSE WHITE PAPER, WHICH OUTLINED AN ESCALATION OF NATIONAL SECURITY. THE PAPER DETAILED RUSSIA'S WAR WITH UKRAINE, CHINA'S INTERFERENCE WITH TAIWAN, AND DEALING WITH CYBERSECURITY THREATS.

SRI LANKA'S NEW PRESIDENT HAS PROMISED TO FORM AN ALL-PARTY GOVERNMENT CAPABLE OF SECURING A BAILOUT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. BUT SO FAR, HIS ACTIONS HAVE ONLY ANGERED PROTESTORS FURTHER. LUKE HUNT REPORTS FROM COLOMBO.

CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING HOSTED HIS FIRST FOREIGN LEADER SINCE THE OLYMPICS THIS WEEK.

INDONESIAN PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO MET WITH PRESIDENT XI IN BEIJING TUESDAY. THE LEADERS PLEDGED TO INCREASE TRADE AND EXPAND COOPERATION IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOOD SECURITY.

FINALLY ON VOA ASIA WEEKLY, A FIRST IN SPACE FOR BEIJING….

AS THE WENTIAN SPACE STATION MODULE SUCCESSFULLY DOCKS ONTO CHINA'S SPACE STATION WHILE IN ORBIT. THE MODULE ALLOWS FOR NEW SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS, ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND LIFE SUPPORT. THERE’S MORE ROOM NOW — SO THREE MORE TAIKO-NAUTS OR CHINESE ASTRONAUTS WILL SOON BOARD THE STATION.

THANKS FOR WATCHING VOA ASIA WEEKLY. I'M JESSICA STONE. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.