From Myanmar to AUKUS to BTS: Newsmakers that shaped Asia in 2021
The year 2021 is ending much the same way it began -- with COVID-19 wreaking havoc. Along the way, Asia saw a host of big stories that could shape the region for years to come. The military takeover in Myanmar, the Taliban's rapid return to power in Afghanistan and the rise of the AUKUS alliance altered the landscape of security and diplomacy. Meanwhile, Asian stars shined on the global stage, from South Korean pop group BTS to Japanese baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani. Here's a look back at some of the year's dramatic developments and difference makers.
AUKUS: Deep impact:
The U.S., U.K. and Australia were already long-standing allies, but their announcement in mid-September of a new security alliance unleashed a geopolitical earthquake in Asia and beyond. At the heart of their AUKUS partnership was an agreement to share nuclear submarine technology with Canberra. France was enraged because the pact sunk its own deal to sell conventional subs to Australia. Several Southeast Asian countries expressed concern about nuclear weapons proliferation, even though the allies stressed the arrangement was only about propulsion. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, for example, warned AUKUS would "catalyze the nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region." And China called on the Anglosphere trio to "abandon their Cold War and zero-sum-game mentality."
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.