Geo-Strategic Trend - 19. page

Singapore’s leading Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported that, according to sources familiar with the matter, U.S. officials are privately discussing the possibility of a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Trump’s upcoming visit to Asia. The discussions remain preliminary, with no formal contact yet established with Pyongyang. Earlier this year, North Korea reportedly rejected Trump’s outreach efforts.

After meeting South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the White House in August, Trump expressed interest in meeting Kim once again. North Korean state media later reported that Kim Jong Un had also voiced willingness to meet Trump during a recent address to the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly. In that speech, Kim said, “I personally still have a good impression of President Trump… If the United States abandons its empty obsession with denuclearization and is willing to coexist peacefully with North Korea based on a realistic understanding, we have no reason to refuse dialogue.”

However, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification stated that there has been no communication between the two Koreas regarding a potential U.S.–North Korea summit. Meanwhile, the White House declined to comment on the report.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, October 18, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/world/story20251018-7685070?ref=global-top-news-7

People’s Daily published an article by the dean of Jamaica’s Mico University College School of Education highlighting the significance of Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI), particularly for small island developing states (SIDS) and other developing nations such as Jamaica. The initiative – emphasizing sovereign equality, adherence to international law, multilateralism, people-centered development, and practical cooperation – was reaffirmed at the recent “SCO+” meeting in Tianjin, where participants agreed that strengthening global governance has become an urgent priority amid growing global instability.

The author argues that China’s proposal directly addresses systemic inequalities faced by small nations in global affairs, from climate financing and debt restructuring to trade negotiations, where their interests are often sidelined. By advocating greater representation and participation of developing countries, China’s GGI aligns with the long-standing aspirations of Caribbean and Pacific island nations to play a more substantive role in international decision-making.

Despite geographical distance, China’s approach – rejecting hegemony, upholding multilateralism, and fostering Global South solidarity – is viewed as both a moral and strategic pathway for small island states seeking sustainable development, equitable participation, and resilience in an increasingly complex world.

Source: People’s Daily, October 5, 2025
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202510/05/content_30108082.html

Kazakhstan has announced plans to build a second nuclear power plant in the Almaty region, naming China as the preferred contractor. Almasadam Satkaliyev, head of Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency, disclosed the decision during a parliamentary briefing earlier this month, noting that the southern site was chosen to ease regional power shortages and ensure a stable electricity supply.

The country’s first nuclear power plant, already under construction in the Almaty region’s Ulken village, was awarded to Russia’s state-owned Rosatom. That project involves two VVER-1200 reactors, with an estimated investment of $14–15 billion and a construction timeline of about eleven years.

For the second plant, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) currently holds the leading position among bidders. While no final decision has been made, Satkaliyev said CNNC’s proposal is considered the most favorable. The Chinese firm is offering its Hualong One reactor — an advanced third-generation design with a projected lifespan of 60 years and an efficiency rate exceeding 90 percent.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly identified energy security as a strategic priority, emphasizing the importance of partnerships with major international players to strengthen Kazakhstan’s energy resilience. The International Atomic Energy Agency has also approved the construction of another plant near Kurchatov in the Abai region of eastern Kazakhstan.

As the world’s largest uranium producer — holding roughly 12 percent of global reserves — Kazakhstan has not operated any nuclear power facilities since the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site in the 1990s. However, mounting energy demand and widening gaps between production and consumption have led authorities to view nuclear power as essential to reducing dependence on Russian electricity imports and fossil fuels, which still account for about half of the country’s energy mix.

China’s apparent advantage may disappoint European competitors, who were previously sidelined in similar bids. France’s EDF, the sole European finalist for the first plant, ultimately lost despite diplomatic efforts. Kazakhstan’s atomic agency noted that only Russia and China currently offer end-to-end nuclear services — from financing and construction to personnel training and spent-fuel management — underscoring the difficulties European firms face competing in this strategically significant sector.

Source: Radio France International, October 9, 2025
https://rfi.my/C536

Sanae Takaichi’s election as president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 2 has positioned her to become Japan’s next prime minister. However, Chinese academics have voiced skepticism about her political durability, predicting that her tenure may be short-lived – possibly even shorter than current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s one-year term.

Sha Qingqing, a historian, noted that despite Takaichi’s long political career, she has never held major leadership roles within the LDP – such as secretary-general – or key cabinet positions like finance, foreign affairs, or defense minister. Her previous posts, including Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and special minister on economic security, have kept her at the periphery of Japan’s core policymaking. Sha added that the ruling coalition’s lack of a parliamentary majority will test Takaichi’s political skill, expressing doubt that her administration could survive a full year.

Lian Degui of Shanghai International Studies University argued that Takaichi’s ability to maintain stable ties with China will directly affect her political survival.

Da Zhigang of the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences warned that unless she softens her hardline conservative stance – particularly on historical and foreign policy issues. He warned that maintaining stable relations on issues involving China’s core interests would be crucial to avoiding the fate of another short-lived cabinet.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 6, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202510060156.aspx

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported in its Chinese-language edition that, between October 4 and the morning of October 5, Russian forces launched 53 missiles and about 500 drones – primarily targeting Ukraine’s western Lviv Oblast.

According to Ukrainian military media, at least three Chinese reconnaissance satellites passed over the region nine times during the attacks. A Ukrainian intelligence official told state media that evidence suggests close coordination between Russia and China in satellite reconnaissance to identify targets within Ukraine. Some experts believe that data from Chinese satellites may have been used to guide Russian strikes.

Beijing maintains that these satellites are intended for scientific research, but many observers suspect they also serve military purposes.

Source: NHK Chinese, October 7, 2025
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/zh/news/20251007_07/