MORNING NEWS BRIEF [December 22, 2021]

HOT NEWS

1. President Putin warned of possible military technical response if Russia feels threatened by NATO, adding that the West was to blame for the rising escalation. Source: The Guardian
2. China has put four members of the U.S. CIRF into its blacklist, the tit-for-tat measure in response to the U.S. sanction targeting the alleged genocide in Xinjiang region. Source: TRT World
3. German Naval Chief said that the country’s deployment of warships into the SCS is to signal China of their intention to increase military presence in the disputed waters. Source: RT

WORLD

1. The UK’s FM stressed that Britain commits to post-Brexit talks with Brussel and their position on talks remains unchanged, following the resignation of the Brexit Minister. Source: Reuters
2. Bulgaria said that it is not needed for NATO to deploy troops to their territory in response to the Russian military buildup at the Ukrainian border as it will only increase the tension. Source: Reuters
3. The UNHCR’s representatives to Belarus and Poland were not granted access to the restricted border areas and called on both countries to abide by human right obligations. Source: Deutsche Welle

REGIONS

1. The Chinese mission to the EU has condemned the action of the western bloc for their interference into HK’s election and urged the EU to abide by international law. Source: CGTN
2. Taiwan expressed strong dissatisfaction at ROK as the invitation to their Minister was rescinded over cross-Strait-issues, which implied the island as Beijing’s territory. Source: The Straits Times
3. Australia’s National Cabinet will hold an unscheduled meeting as the states urged the federal government to distribute COVID-19 booster jab amid the Omicron variant surge. Source: Reuters

CAMBODIA

1. Cambodia and Thailand vowed to deepen bilateral ties across all sections in an effort to revive the two countries’ economies in the wake of pandemic-induced fiscal challenges. Source: The Phnom Penh Post
2. Cambodia and Vietnam have recently signed seven important documents aimed at boosting the two nations’ bilateral relations during the two-day visit of the Vietnamese President. Source: AKP
3. KITA reported that Cambodia and South Korea two-way trade totaled almost USD 870 million in the first eleven months of 2021, a year-on-year increase of over 8.8 percent. Source: The Phnom Penh Post