The top U.S. diplomat outlines the critical role technology plays in the world’s geopolitical challenges.
Welcome to VOA Asia Weekly. I'm Chris Casquejo in Washington. That story is just ahead, but first, making headlines.
South Korean and U.S. troops practiced building floating bridges to ferry tanks and other armored vehicles across rivers. The exercise was part of larger joint drills that have drawn the ire of North Korea.
North Korea fired more artillery shells off its east and west coasts Wednesday. The North Korean military said it was in response to South Korea’s firing of more than 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers near the frontline.
A group of about 90 Japanese conservative lawmakers visited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s 2.5 million war dead. Critics, especially Chinese and Koreans, consider visits by Japanese politicians to the shrine as a lack of remorse over the country's 20th century wartime atrocities.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered an investigation into the Unification Church. Public outrage has grown over his governing party's ties to the controversial group after former leader Shinzo Abe's assassination.
Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive John Lee, unveiled a new visa scheme to woo global talent, as the city seeks to stem a brain drain. It will allow those earning an annual salary of about $318-thousand dollars or above and graduates from the world's top universities to work in the city for two years.
China delayed the release of economic indicators scheduled for publication this week, including its third-quarter gross domestic product data and September home prices. Last week, China without explanation also postponed the release of September's trade data.
While Xi Jinping is primed to receive a third term as head of China's ruling Communist Party on Sunday, other top leadership posts are also in focus.
Most closely watched will be the Politburo Standing Committee, whose size fluctuates but has stood at seven members under Xi.
One major question is the future of the party's No. 2 official, Premier Li Keqiang (kuh-CHANG), who is primarily responsible for heading the cabinet and managing the world's second-largest economy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Silicon Valley this week comes as the Biden administration is promoting more investment in technology but also enacting more restrictions on selling technology to businesses in China. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.
Secretary Blinken spoke at Stanford University in a conversation with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
His message to the students and faculty? Technology plays a critical role in geopolitical challenges around the world.
“We’re in a moment of intense competition to shape what comes next. Technology, innovation, entrepreneurship. They are at the heart of that. This is how we’re going to retool economies, for the future. This is how we’re going to modernize militaries, as necessary.”
Blinken’s trip comes as the Biden administration is starting to implement the CHIPS and Science Act, billions of dollars slated to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing. Earlier this month, the administration issued export controls preventing some semiconductor suppliers from selling to China to hamper that country’s ability to develop chips and use them in its military.
“There are only a small number of countries that either are manufacturing the highest-end semiconductors or making the tools to manufacture the highest-end semiconductors. We want to make sure we keep those where they need to be.”
Industry analysts say the new restrictions will hurt some U.S. technology firms’ bottom line.
“While we tend to think of the companies here as just producing some kind of product, actually that product, whether it's semiconductors or other aspects of the technological infrastructure, has worldwide implications for issues of peace and war, issues for international relations. And so the secretary of state and others in the government recognize that they sort of have to have special policies for these kinds of industries.”
In his pitch that Washington and Silicon Valley need to be better aligned, Blinken pointed to a first this year, the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, which will provide what he calls “day in, day out connectivity” with the Silicon Valley ecosystem.
Michelle Quinn, VOA News.
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Finally, Hollywood trailblazer Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American to be featured on U.S. currency.
The U.S. Mint will begin shipping the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters Program on Monday.
Wong appeared in more than 60 movies, which included silent films. She also appeared in theater productions on New York and London stages.
Thanks for watching VOA Asia Weekly. I’m Chris Casquejo. Until next week.