NEW YORK -- News that Tanzania will revive a $10 billion port project in the town of Bagamoyo has ignited speculation that China, the project's main investor, is looking to establish an additional dual-use foothold on the East African coast, a move that would greatly enhance Beijing's strategic aims in the region.

The main purpose of Bagamoyo Port would be to ease the congestion at the country's main port, Dar es Salaam, located 75 km to its south. Bagamoyo could also

Michael Vatikiotis is Asia director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the author of "Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia."

The military coup in Myanmar and its violent aftermath have raised existential questions about whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations really serves any useful purpose for the region's 632 million people.

Facing a barrage of criticism within and from outside the region for having failed so far to effectively use the tools of diplomacy and engagement to address the crisis in Myanmar, ASEAN has

YANGON/BANGKOK -- Myanmar's military on Feb. 1 detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in the country's first coup since 1988, bringing an end to a decade of civilian rule.

The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election in November . But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud.

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City streets have been secured. History books scrubbed. Articles and television specials prepped, and leaders at every level of government readied for their solemn, teary close-ups. For the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, nothing will have been left to chance.

The newly formed CCP first met in Shanghai in mid-1921. The precise date is murky, and July 1 was chosen by Mao Zedong years later when he could not remember exactly when the 13 comrades had held their

MATERA, Italy -- Foreign ministers from the G-20 group of nations met in-person for the first time in almost two years here on Tuesday in an effort to get on the same page ahead of the summit in Rome this October.

But unity will not come easy. Reflecting the fault lines between the nations, Russia sent only a deputy foreign minister while China opted to participate only virtually.

The global coronavirus vaccination campaign was a top priority. Roughly 3 billion doses have been administered worldwide so far,

SRINAGAR, India -- On Srinagar’s Boulevard Road, visitors heading for the shore of the city’s scenic Dal Lake could easily miss Lhasa, but for the pagoda-style roof and wooden facade that mark its Tibetan heritage. Inside, Chinese paper lanterns cast a red gleam over framed portraits of the Tibetan city from which this popular restaurant gets its name.

The Tibetan exterior and decoration is no accident. When Abdul Rehman Zareif opened Lhasa in 1976, his motivation was partly to help to preserve

LONDON -- The U.K. wants to secure a place in the 11-member Trans-Pacific trade bloc, known as CPTTP, by the end of 2022, British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss told Nikkei, as the nation seeks economic opportunities after its exit from the European Union.

"I anticipate [the timeline] will be months rather than years," Truss said of the trade pact negotiations, which formally began Tuesday.

"I do hope we are able to reach a conclusion

TOKYO -- A group of Japanese companies, including Toyota Motor, will begin using an IBM quantum computer, searching for new ways to apply the next-generation computer to industrial purposes, Nikkei has learned.

Toyota, Mitsubishi Chemical, and 10 other companies plan to jointly use the quantum computer, which is designed for commercial use. One possibility is to utilize the system to develop new materials.

IBM will install the unit at the Kawasaki Business Incubation Center (KBIC) in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo. The system

YANGON/BANGKOK -- Data from Myanmar's health ministry shows clear signs of a new wave of COVID-19 infections in a country already in turmoil from the February coup and the subsequent crackdown on protesters, including many health care workers.

The junta-controlled Ministry of Health and Sports announced on Monday 1,225 new cases, the highest number since mid-December last year.

"Only army medical officers and doctors are working at COVID-19 treatment centers, and Myanmar Red Cross members