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The White House added yet another incident to its stockpile of scams when it launched the so-called "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)" on Monday. During U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Japan, he said the IPEF will drive Asia "to the top" and "deliver for all people on Earth." But whatever grand visions he and his administration presented to rope regional countries into this initiative will not paper over Washington's sinister intentions to plot division and isolation, undermine regional stability, and maintain U.S. hegemony. Washington's pledge to boost the region's "inclusive" growth through the IPEF is a lie. Inclusiveness means all regional countries should be given equal access to opportunities and resources regarding the initiative. But the Washington-designed IPEF has since day one ruled out China, the biggest trading partner of most of the regional countries and an important contributor to regional stability and development. Washington has meant more than isolating China. The very idea of designing the IPEF is to form another exclusive U.S.-led economic bloc to contain China. A fact sheet by the White House in February described the IPEF as part of a wider push to "restore American leadership" in the region by "meeting urgent challenges" like "competition with China." In a letter sent to Biden last week, 52 U.S. senators urged using the IPEF to boost America's "ability to compete effectively with China." Also Read: India accuses China of illegal construction in border area With a Cold War thinking, a bloc mentality and a hegemonic mindset, Washington has long bridled at China's rapid development and its ever closer relations with other Asian economies. Just as the American Enterprise Institute noted, the United States feels it has fallen behind in the regional trade agenda, leaving a gaping hole in its Asia strategy. The IPEF, therefore, was created as a new weapon to serve Washington's own geopolitical and economic goals to maintain long rule over the region, by forcing regional countries to take sides, luring them to decouple from China, and disrupting the normal regional economic order. Also, the IPEF, claimed to benefit all, is another version of "America First" that can hardly facilitate economic growth in the region. Just as a Foreign Policy article said, the IPEF is "an all-pain, no-gain economic deal." Removing tariff barriers and pledging more investments, hard commitments that Washington could offer to bring real benefits to many Asian countries, never appeared in the IPEF. Instead, through a tangle of evasion and bleakest reiteration, Washington attempted to distract regional countries from its unwillingness to serve their interests, and to brainwash them with blurry promises so that it can slam the present regional economic cooperation architecture, mar an increasingly deepening regional integration, and secure absolute economic dominance in the region. Moreover, Washington has shown the slightest sincerity and respect towards regional countries it repeatedly called "partners." When the IPEF was first brought up last year, Washington made it clear that it will only invite regional countries that back up America's values and rules. Based on that, as media reports revealed, it has thrown a number of Southeast Asian countries out of the invitation list, such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos. The IPEF's proclaimed standards in the fields of digital economy, labor, market supervision, environmental protection and anti-corruption are much higher than those set by domestic laws in some regional countries and even by international conventions. If implemented, the initiative will force these participating countries to abide by the rules unilaterally set by Washington, and change their domestic economic policies to serve U.S. interests only. The inequality of the initiative is also evident in its approval process. While Washington chose to base the IPEF on a presidential executive order and skip congressional approval, it asked other participating countries to complete all legal procedures for accession. In this way, Washington can walk away from its commitments whenever it wants to with little consequence. It can even discard the IPEF when a new administration takes office. Fortunately, the IPEF will just be another futile attempt by Washington to turn regional countries into pawns in its scheme to isolate China and perpetuate hegemony. Over the past decades, the region has witnessed achievements and momentum of peaceful and sound development created by concerted efforts of regional countries. The 6.3-percent growth in Asia in 2021 has not come easily amid the COVID-19 pandemic, giving credit to the solidarity of regional countries and the hard work of the people. Fully embracing globalization and free trade, the region has also established win-win cooperation platforms and enjoyed better liberalization and facilitation of regional trade and investment. As a matter of fact, the interests of regional countries are highly intertwined that they cannot be separated without facing massive losses. Well aware of that, many sober minds in the region have refused to take Washington's dangling carrot. A recent report by the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies showed some Asian countries have already expressed concerns that the IPEF is "primarily a political endeavor meant to counter China, rather than a sincere and thoughtful economic policy integration initiative." A good economic initiative is welcomed by all as it puts development first, pursues mutual benefit, and is open, inclusive and action-oriented. A bad one is doomed to fail as it creates economic decoupling, technological blockade and industrial disruption, and aggravates the supply-chain crisis. What the IPEF is could not be any clearer.  

President Joe Biden on Monday launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warned Americans worried about high inflation that it was “going to be a haul” before they feel relief. The president said he does not believe an economic recession is inevitable in the U.S. Biden, speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, acknowledged the U.S. economy has “problems” but said they were "less consequential than the rest of the world has.” Also read:Biden to lay out in Japan who's joining new Asia trade pact He added: “This is going to be a haul. This is going to take some time," even as he rejected the idea a recession in the U.S. was inevitable. The comments came just before Biden's launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade deal his administration designed to signal U.S. dedication to the contested economic sphere and to address the need for stability in commerce after disruptions caused by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nations joining the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework are Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Along with the United States, they represent 40% of world GDP. The countries said in a joint statement that the pact will help them collectively “prepare our economies for the future” following disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meeting with Kishida, Biden said the new framework would also increase U.S. cooperation with other nations in the region. The White House said the framework will help the United States and Asian economies work more closely on issues including supply chains, digital trade, clean energy, worker protections and anticorruption efforts. The details still need to be negotiated among the member countries, making it difficult for the administration to say how this agreement would fulfill the promise of helping U.S. workers and businesses while also meeting global needs. Critics say the framework has gaping shortcomings. It doesn’t offer incentives to prospective partners by lowering tariffs or provide signatories with greater access to U.S. markets. Those limitations may not make the U.S. framework an attractive alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which still moved forward after the U.S. bailed out. China, the largest trading partner for many in the region, is also seeking to join TPP. “I think a lot of partners are going to look at that list and say: ‘That’s a good list of issues. I’m happy to be involved,’” said Matthew Goodman, a former director for international economics on the National Security Council during President Barack Obama’s administration. But he said they also may ask, “Are we going to get any tangible benefits out of participating in this framework?” Kishida hosted a formal state welcome for Biden at Akasaka Palace, including a white-clad military honor guard and band in the front plaza. Reviewing the assembled troops, Biden placed his hand over his heart as he passed the American flag and bowed slightly as he passed the Japanese standard. Kishida said at their meeting that he was “absolutely delighted” to welcome Biden to Tokyo on the first Asia trip of his presidency. Along with Biden, he drove a tough line against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, saying it “undermines the foundation of global order.” Biden, who is in the midst of a five-day visit to South Korea and Japan, called the U.S.-Japanese alliance a “cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific" and thanked Japan for its “strong leadership” in standing up to Russia. The White House announced plans to build the economic framework in October as a replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the U.S. dropped out of in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump. Kishida, while welcoming the new Biden trade pact, said he hoped Biden would reconsider the United States' position on TPP. Also read:Biden starts Asia trip with global issues and tech on agenda “Our position remains unchanged,” Kishida said. “We think it’s desirable for the United States to return to the TPP.” The new pact comes at a moment when the administration believes it has the edge in its competition with Beijing. Bloomberg Economics published a report last week projecting U.S. GDP growth at about 2.8% in 2022 compared to 2% for China, which has been trying to contain the coronavirus through strict lockdowns while also dealing with a property bust. The slowdown has undermined assumptions that China would automatically supplant the U.S. as the world's leading economy. “The fact that the United States will grow faster than China this year, for the first time since 1976, is a quite striking example of how countries in this region should be looking at the question of trends and trajectories,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The two leaders were also set to meet with families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago. The Japanese premier took office last fall and is looking to strengthen ties with the U.S. and build a personal relationship with Biden. He'll host the president at a restaurant for dinner. The launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, also known as IPEF, has been billed by the White House as one of the bigger moments of Biden's Asia trip and of his ongoing effort to bolster ties with Pacific allies. Through it all, administration officials have kept a close eye on China's growing economic and military might in the region. In September the U.S. announced a new partnership with Australia and Britain called AUKUS that is aimed and deepening security, diplomatic and defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Through that AUKUS partnership, Australia will purchase nuclear-powered submarines, and the U.S. is to increase rotational force deployments to Australia. The U.S. president has also devoted great attention to the informal alliance known as the Quad, formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Biden and fellow leaders from the alliance, which also includes Australia, India and Japan, are set to gather in Tokyo for their second in-person meeting in less than a year. The leaders have also held two video calls since Biden took office. And earlier this month, Biden gathered representatives from nine of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Washington for a summit, the first ever by the organization in the U.S. capital. Biden announced at the summit the U.S. would invest some $150 million in clean energy and infrastructure initiatives in ASEAN nations. Taiwan — which had sought membership in the IPEF framework— isn’t among the governments that will be included. Participation of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own, would have irked Beijing. Sullivan said the U.S. wants to deepen its economic partnership with Taiwan, including on high technology issues and semiconductor supply on a one-to-one basis. Biden also issued a stern warning to China over Taiwan, saying the U.S. would respond militarily if China were to invade the self-ruled island. “That's the commitment we made,” Biden said. The U.S. recognizes Beijing as the one government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, it maintains unofficial contacts with Taiwan, including a de facto embassy in Taipei, the capital, and supplies military equipment to the island for its defense. Biden’s comments were likely to draw a sharp response from China, which has claimed Taiwan to be a rogue province. A White House official said Biden’s comments did not reflect a policy shift.

A ferry carrying more than 130 people caught fire in the northeastern Philippines on Monday, killing seven passengers and forcing many survivors to jump into the sea where they were rescued by other vessels. The fire rapidly spread from the engine room to the upper passenger deck of the M/V Mercraft 2 while it was approaching a seaport in Real, town administrator Filomena Portales said. It had been en route to the town in Quezon province from Polillo Island. Also read: Marcos, Duterte new Philippines president and vice-president Many of the 134 passengers and crew jumped into the water and were plucked from the sea by motorboats and cargo vessels, coast guard officials said. “Fishing boats and other vessels were able to approach quickly and everybody helped, so the rescue was fast,” Portales told The Associated Press by telephone, adding many of those rescued were in shock and had to be treated for burns and bruises and given dry clothes and shoes. Pictures released by the coast guard showed fire engulfing the ferry and dark smoke billowing from it. Injured survivors on stretchers were taken to waiting ambulance vans while a rescuer tried to revive an unconscious survivor by pressing on his chest. The coast guard said everyone on the ferry had been accounted for and 24 people who were injured were brought to a hospital. Portales said seven passengers died from burns and drowning and one possibly had a heart attack while floating in the water. Also read: Philippine storm death toll rises to 167, 110 missing Investigators were looking into the fire and other ferries operated by the owner of Mercraft 2 would likely be suspended from operating while undergoing safety inspections, officials said. The wreckage was towed to shore in Real. Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats, overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety regulations. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.

Beijing extended orders for workers and students to stay home and ordered additional mass testing Monday as cases of COVID-19 again rose in the Chinese capital. Numerous residential compounds in the city have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. Also read: Shared bikes disinfected as COVID-19 precaution measures in Beijing Beijing on Monday reported an uptick in cases to 99, rising from a previous daily average of around 50. In total, China reported 802 new cases Monday, marking a steady decline interrupted only by small-scale localized outbreaks. Despite that, the government has hewed to strict quarantine, lockdown and testing measures under its “zero-COVID” approach, even while the outside world is opening up. Shanghai reported 480,000 people were still confined to their homes, while 1.59 million were permitted to move around their neighborhoods and 21.2 million were under lighter restrictions. Also read: Beijing closes 10% of subway stations to stem COVID spread The reopening of transport links out of Shanghai created an exodus of migrant workers and foreigners, desperate to escape shortages of food, medicine and daily necessities. Among those who remain, many were still restricted to one hour of shopping time, entrusted with bringing home supplies for their entire building.

Eight people returning from a wedding function were killed when their SUV crashed into a truck parked along a busy road in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. Three other occupants of the speeding SUV sustained serious injuries in the accident that occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district, some 280 kms from state capital Lucknow, police said. "The SUV rammed into the stationary truck at high speed as its driver failed to spot the heavy vehicle while overtaking a car in the Sidharthnagar area of the district," a police officer told the local media. While seven people died on the spot in the impact, another person succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. "The three other injured are being treated at Gorakhpur district hospital," the officer said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole the deaths in the fatal crash and announced compensation for the families of the victims. "The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in an accident in Siddharthnagar, UP. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. "A probe has been ordered into the accident," the police officer said. Road accidents are very common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws. Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years has failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.

India on Friday objected to China’s construction of a second bridge across disputed Pangong Lake, an area it said has been under the “illegal occupation” of China since the 1960s. India’s challenge comes amid a two-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers from the two countries that has sometimes led to deadly clashes in eastern Ladakh. “We have never accepted such illegal occupation of our territory, nor have we accepted the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of India’s External Affairs Ministry. There was no immediate comment from China. The development is expected to impact efforts by army commanders from the two countries who have been discussing steps to disengage troops from key areas along the disputed border. Bagchi said the Indian government has stepped up construction of border infrastructure especially since 2014, including roads and bridges, to protect its security interests. Both countries have stationed tens of thousands of soldiers backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets along the de facto border called the Line of Actual Control. In 2020, 20 Indian troops were killed in a clash with Chinese soldiers involving clubs, stones and fists along the disputed border. China said it lost four soldiers. Also Read: India, Bangladesh train services to resume shortly Since February last year, India and China have withdrawn troops from some areas on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Galwan Valley, but they continue to maintain extra troops as part of a multitier deployment. Additional troop deployment has also taken place at Demchok and Depsang Plains, Indian media reports say. The Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India’s eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a war over the border in 1962. Since the standoff began last year, the Chinese have been building dozens of large weather-proof structures in eastern Ladakh for their troops to stay in during the winter. New helipads, wider airstrips, new barracks, new surface-to-air missile sites and radar locations have also been reported by Indian media.    

Sri Lankan authorities on Friday closed schools and asked public officials not to come to work in a desperate move to prepare for an acute fuel shortage that is expected to last days amid the nation's worst economic crisis in decades. The Public Administration Ministry asked the public officials — except for those who maintain essential services — not to come to work on Friday “in a view of current fuel shortage and issues in transport facilities” across the country. Also read: Sri Lankan power family falls from grace as economy tanks State- and government-approved private schools also closed Friday amid the worsening fuel shortage, with thousands of people waiting in queues at fuel stations across the country for days at a time. Sri Lanka is now almost without gasoline and faces an acute shortage of other fuels as well. The government has been struggling to find money to pay for the importation of fuel, gas and other essentials in recent months as the Indian Ocean island nation is on the brink of bankruptcy. Its economic woes have brought on a political crisis, with the government facing widespread protests and unrest. For months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy those essentials, most of which come from abroad. Shortages of hard currency have also hindered imports of raw materials for manufacturing and worsened inflation. Protesters blocked main roads to demand gas and fuel, and television stations showed people in some areas fighting over limited stocks. Authorities have announced countrywide power cuts of up to four hours a day because they can’t supply enough fuel to power generating stations. Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of about $7 billion in foreign loans due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. The country’s total foreign debt is $51 billion. The finance ministry says the country currently has only $25 million in usable foreign reserves. Also read: Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as Sri Lanka's PM Protesters have occupied the entrance to the president’s office for more than a month, calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. Months of anti-government rallies have led to the near-dismantling of the once-powerful ruling family, with one of the president’s brothers resigning as prime minister, and other siblings and a nephew leaving their Cabinet posts. Protesters accuse the Rajapaksas of triggering the crisis through corruption and misrule. Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Monday that about $75 billion is needed urgently to help provide essential items, but the country’s treasury is struggling to find even $1 billion. Attacks by Rajapaksa’s supporters on protesters last week sparked nationwide violence that left nine people — including a lawmaker — dead, and more than 200 injured. Homes of lawmakers and their supporters were burned down.

North Korea said Friday that nearly 10% of its 26 million people have fallen ill and 65 people have died amid its first COVID-19 outbreak, as outside experts question the validity of its reported fatalities and worry about a possible humanitarian crisis. After admitting the omicron outbreak last week following more than two years of claiming to be coronavirus-free, North Korea has said an unidentified fever has been explosively spreading across the country since late April. Its anti-epidemic center has since released fever tallies each morning via state media, but they don’t include any COVID-19 figures. Also read: Shanghai to reopen subways in easing of COVID restrictions Some observers say North Korea was likely forced to acknowledge the COVID-19 outbreak because it couldn't hide the highly contagious viral spread among its people and suffer possible public discontent with leader Kim Jong Un. They believe North Korean authorities are underreporting mortalities to try to show that its pandemic response is effective, while the country lacks test kits to confirm a large number of virus cases. “It’s true that there has been a hole in its 2 1/2 years of pandemic fighting,” said Kwak Gil Sup, head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korea affairs. “But there is a saying that North Korea is ’a theater state,' and I think they are massaging COVID-19 statistics.” Kwak said North Korea is likely partly using the outbreak as a propaganda tool to show that it is overcoming the pandemic with Kim’s leadership. But the country has “a Plan B” and “a Plan C” to seek Chinese and other foreign aid if the pandemic gets out of hand, he said. On Friday, the North’s state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters said 263,370 more people had feverish symptoms and two more people died, bringing the total fever cases to 2.24 million and fatalities to 65. They said 754,810 people remain quarantined, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The outbreak likely originated from an April 25 military parade in Pyongyang that Kim organized to show off his new missiles and loyal troops. The parade and other related festivals, which marked North Korea’s army foundation anniversary, drew tens of thousands of people and soldiers from Pyongyang and other parts of the country, who returned home after the events. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Thursday that “a considerable number” of the fever cases reported by North Korea include people sick with waterborne diseases like measles, typhoid and pertussis. The National Intelligence Service assessed that those diseases had already been spreading across North Korea even before COVID-19 broke out, according to Ha Tae-keung, a lawmaker who attended a private NIS briefing. Ha cited the NIS as saying the waterborne diseases were spreading due to shortages of medicines and medical supplies in the wake of the North’s previous long-running anti-pandemic steps. Also read:CDC urges Pfizer booster for children ages 5 to 11 “(The NIS) said it doesn’t know exactly what percentage of the fever cases are coronavirus patients. It said North Korea lacks coronavirus diagnostic kits but appears to have sufficient thermometers,” Ha said. The NIS has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea. Some civilian medical experts earlier said they believed most of the fever cases announced by North Korea were COVID-19. Earlier this week, a health official said on state TV the government had detected 168 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, when the country’s fever cases already surpassed a million. There have been no updates on the North’s virus cases since then. North Korea’s public medical system remains in shambles, and experts say the country could suffer mass pandemic fatalities if it doesn’t receive outside aid shipments. They say the country’s elevated restrictions on movement and quarantine rules may also worsen its food insecurity. The NIS said North Korea intends to overcome the pandemic with assistance from its main ally, China, according to Ha and Kim Byung-kee, another lawmaker who was briefed by the spy service. During an anti-virus meeting Saturday, Kim said his country faces “a great upheaval” and that officials must study how China and other nations have handled the pandemic. Some media reports said North Korea already sent planes to China to bring back emergency supplies earlier this week, but the South Korean government said it couldn’t confirm the reports. South Korea said it and the United States have offered to ship vaccines, medicines and other medical supplies to North Korea, but the North hasn’t responded.

Indonesia will lift an export ban on crude palm oil, cooking oil, refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm oil, and RBD palm olein starting May 23, as the country has brought domestic cooking oil prices and supply under control. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said at a virtual press briefing on Thursday that the cooking oil supply in the local market has reached 211,000 tons, far higher than 64,000 tons the country had before the ban was imposed on April 28. Also Read: Soybean oil price jumps as Indonesia bans export of palm oil "Now we already have more (supply) than we need nationally," Widodo said. The decision to lift the export ban came after protests from palm oil farmers and producers as they suffered declining prices and oversupply in fresh fruit bunches. Separately, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the export ban has been estimated to reduce the country's revenue by 6 trillion rupiahs (407.33 million U.S. dollars).    

The locked-down Chinese metropolis of Shanghai will reopen four of its 20 subway lines Sunday as it slowly eases pandemic restrictions that have kept most residents in their housing complexes for more than six weeks. The city will also restart 273 bus lines connecting major urban centers, airports, train stations and hospitals as it resumes cross-district public transit, Yu Fulin, director of the Shanghai Transport Commission, said at a daily pandemic briefing Thursday. Also read:Shanghai re-tightens on COVID, frustrating trapped residents It wasn't immediately clear how frequent the service would be. Bus service resumed on a trial basis within three outlying districts this week, with buses running every 30 to 90 minutes during daylight hours. The lockdown of China's largest city has dealt a blow to the economy and frustrated residents, particularly as many countries elsewhere in the world move away from such harsh measures as they try to live with the virus. But officials have stuck to a ‘zero-COVID’ approach, saying that lifting restrictions could strain the public health system and lead to more deaths, particularly among the not fully vaccinated elderly. The outbreak in Shanghai has taken 580 lives, according to official statistics, making it the deadliest one since the initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan in early 2020. Even as the number of new cases plummets, authorities are relaxing restrictions in a slow and deliberate manner as they try to ensure that the virus no longer spreads anywhere outside of quarantine facilities and areas with known infections. The city of 25 million people recorded about 700 new cases on Wednesday, accounting for most of the about 1,000 cases nationwide. Also read: New tests to decide Shanghai reopening as Beijing stocks up Authorities in Beijing, which reported 55 new cases, closed some subway stations and bus lines, banned dining in restaurants and strongly encouraged residents to work from home as they try to prevent a Shanghai-scale outbreak in the Chinese capital. Elsewhere in China, the city of Guang'an in in China's southwestern Sichuan province was locked down on Wednesday. The province recorded about 150 new cases.