Asian Insider: Terrorist threat remains in Philippines | Country living in remote Taitung

Dear ST reader,

We hope you’ve been keeping well.

Last week’s bomb blast in the southern Philippine city of Marawi that claimed four lives was a stark reminder that terrorism remains a threat in the region. Despite crackdowns that have reduced the number of Muslim militants in the south, groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are still capable of mounting attacks, defence experts tell our correspondent Mara Cepeda.

Meanwhile armed conflict continues to rage in north Myanmar between the junta and ethnic armed groups, putting the military on the back foot. Analysts say Myanmar’s neighbours who have been dealing exclusively with the military government may now be forced to rethink their strategy to avoid a refugee crisis at their borders, reports Tan Hui Yee from Bangkok.

Over in east Asia, attention turns to the EU-China summit this week, where top leaders on both sides hope to find common ground on key issues like trade, the Ukraine war and general cooperation. All eyes will be on whether relations will improve, after 2022’s meeting was described as a “dialogue of the deaf” by the EU’s top diplomat Joseph Borrell, reports Jonathan Eyal from London.

Meanwhile, farming is the running theme for our lighter reads this week. Our latest instalment in the Extreme Asia series explores how and why the world’s most expensive fruit is grown in Japan’s only bankrupt city. Read too about indoor farming in bustling Bangkok and how a young couple drifted east in Taiwan for a slower pace of life.