Ex-rebel frontrunner in Colombian vote, could shake US ties

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Last year, Fabian Espinel helped organize roadblocks where young people protested against police violence and government plans to increase taxes on lower income Colombians. Now, as Colombia heads into its presidential election Sunday, Espinel walks the...

Thai leader: Asia is gaining strategic, economic importance

TOKYO (AP) — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thursday that a new U.S.-backed economic pact is further proof of how important and relevant Asia is today. “Asia is still expanding and gaining more influence in terms of strategic and economic importance,” Prayuth said....

Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriers

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s new government has urged China to lift trade sanctions if it wants to reset a bilateral relationship that plumbed new depths under the previous administration. The Chinese premier’s congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese...

In Asia, Biden pushes values he struggles to sell at home

TOKYO (AP) — Joe Biden spent his first trip to Asia as president strengthening economic and military commitments. He pushed new rules for the global economy and promoted democracy in launching a new trade pact. And he summoned fellow Indo-Pacific leaders to do more in defense of Ukraine even if...

Biden launches Indo-Pacific trade deal, warns over inflation

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations Monday aimed at strengthening their economies as he warned Americans worried about high inflation that it is "going to be a haul” before they feel relief. The president said he does not believe an economic...

EXPLAINER: What's in Biden's proposed new Asia trade pact?

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden faced a dilemma on trade in Asia: He couldn't just rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership that his predecessor had pulled the U.S. out of in 2017. Many related trade deals, regardless of their content, had become politically toxic for U.S. voters, who associated...

US announces 12 countries join Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a pact designed to bolster trade with Asian economies

Taiwan not included in launch of new Biden Indo-Pacific pact

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday is expected to come out with a list of nations that will join a long-anticipated Indo-Pacific trade pact, but Taiwan won't be among them. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that Taiwan isn't among the governments...

The AP Interview: US trade rep. sees opportunity in recovery

BANGKOK (AP) — With world economies all suffering from more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic and global supply problems exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has an “incredible opportunity” to engage with other nations on a common playing field and forge...

N Ireland party leader pans Pelosi's warning on Brexit terms

LONDON (AP) — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism from the leader of Northern Ireland’s biggest unionist party after saying Congress won’t approve a trade deal with the U.K. if Britain scraps the agreement governing post-Brexit trade on the Irish island. The...