The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday lodged a protest with Japan’s embassy in Beijing over the visit by three Cabinet ministers to Yasukuni Shrine, Japanese diplomats said.

As the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit is to kick off here Thursday afternoon, closer Asia-Europe connectivity, practical cooperation and coordination on global issues are expected to garner world attention.

Malaysia will lead ASEAN as it sits on the so-called top table of the world, the powerful UN Security Council

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou wants to lock in a legacy before leaving office in 2016. He will be remembered for opening talks with Taiwan’s arch-rival China in 2008 after six decades of chill that hobbled the half trillion-dollar economy and sparked threats of war. 

The recent Mars orbit caps an impressive track record for the country’s space agency.

For almost a year, China has been pitching an idea to its neighbors in Asia: a big, internationally funded bank that would offer quick financing for badly needed transportation, telecommunications and energy projects in underdeveloped countries across the region.

In 2014, the trend has continued with the Federal Government eviscerating its publicly funded overseas television service, Australia Network, which targeted its broadcasts to Asia. News reports this month suggest ABC Radio & Television's news presence in New Delhi and Tokyo may be scaled back too.

Asian philanthropy is an emerging force in international relations. As social impact investors, philanthropists in Asia are non-state actors transforming civil society and diplomacy.