January 14 – Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pays an official visit to Ethiopia, pledging more cooperation, investment, and aid for Africa. He says Japan wants to invest in education in Africa. He promises humanitarian aid of $320 million for Africa, including South Sudan struggling with infighting and war-torn Central Africa Republic. Abe’s visit is seen as an attempt to counter China’s influence in Africa.
January 21 – Thailand
The Thai government imposes a 60-day state of emergency in the capital, Bangkok, and the surrounding areas to deal with anti-government protests that have been blocking parts of the city since November. Protesters have been calling for Prime Minister Yinkluck Shinawatra to step down since she passed a political amnesty bill, which would allow her brother and former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return from exile. She rejects the calls to resign, and instead announces plans for new elections in February 2014. The opposition says it will not stop protesting and will boycott the elections.
January 25 – Philippines
The Philippine government signs the final part of a peace agreement with Muslim rebels, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who agree to put down their weapons in exchange for an autonomous area in the south of the country. The conflict lasted 40 years and claimed more than 120,000 lives.
January 26 – China
China sentences a prominent human rights activist Xu Zhiyong to four years in prison for what it calls “disrupting public order.” Xu and his grassroots organization New Citizens’ Movement have been campaigning against corruption and calling for protection children’s rights.
February 2 – Thailand
Thailand holds parliamentary elections amid widespread anti-government protests that have been taking place since November. However, the protesters are preventing the voting from taking place in the country’s several provinces. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the elections in hopes of ending the conflict, but the opposition wants to form a transitional government, which would reform the country’s political system.
March 21 – Thailand
Thailand’s Constitutional Court rules that the February elections were invalid because the opposition’s blocked some polling stations preventing many voters from casting their ballots.
March 30 – Taiwan
Tens of thousands of people protest Taiwan’s controversial trade agreement with China on the streets of the capital, Taipei. The government and business groups claim the deal will give Taiwan a wider access to Chinese markets, but many are afraid that the deal will make Taiwan too dependent on China economically. The agreement was signed last year, but is yet to be ratified by the parliament.
April 8 – Japan/Australia
After seven years of negotiations, Australia and Japan sign a bilateral trade agreement, in which Australia gets as preferential treatment in its agricultural exports to Japan, such as beef and dairy products. For its part, Australia agrees to cut tariffs on Japanese electronics, automobiles, and household appliances.
May 7 – Thailand
Thailand’s Constitutional Court orders Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and several of her ministers to step down, saying she acted illegally when appointing her security adviser. A caretaker government is established. Anti-government groups have been protesting since November 2013 in an effort to oust her. (May 10): Thousands of supporters of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra hold rallies across the country. (May 22): Thailand’s military seizes power in a coup and suspends the constitution. It says the move was necessary to stop the violence in Bangkok and many other cities across the country.
May 21 – China
Russia concludes an agreement on the delivery of natural gas to China for the next 30 years for an estimated $400 billion. The two countries have been negotiating the deal for the last 10 years, but it is believed that the recent threat of European sanctions on Russia as a result of the crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s efforts to look for other markets sped up the process. China also purchases its gas supplies from Turkmenistan and Myanmar.
August 6 – Cambodia
More than 30 years after the fall of Cambodia’s brutal Maoist regime of Khmer Rouge, Cambodia’s UN-backed tribunal sentences two of the most powerful leaders of that regime to life in prison for crimes against humanity. Nuon Chea was a chief ideologist and second in command in the Khmer Rouge government. Khieu Samphan was the president from 1976 until 1979 and served as Cambodia’s head of state. As General Secretary, Pol Pot was the most powerful official in the party. Chea and Samphan are also being tried for genocide in a separate trial.
August 21 – Thailand
Thailand’s parliament nominates General Prayuth Chan-ocha as the country’s interim prime minister. General Prayuth was the leader of the May military coup that ousted Yingluck Shinawatra and her government. The military hand-picked him for this position, but promises to hold elections in 2015. The military also picked their people to run foreign affairs, justice, defense, and commerce ministries.
September 21 – China
A deadly blast takes place in China’s far west Xinjiang region, home to the country’s Muslim Uighur minority group. Uighur activists explain that recent violence in the region has been fueled by oppressive policies of the Chinese authorities. Also, the large-scale immigration of the Chinese Han people into the region, who are said to be given better jobs and other perks, adds to tensions.
September 29 – China
Hong Kong students and activists organize pro-democracy rallies and occupy the city center for several weeks in protest at the Chinese government’s decision to limit people’s choices during a 2017 election for Hong Kong’s chief executive. Tens of thousands of regular people also join the protesters in their demands for a free choice of candidates.
October 14 – China
Russia and China sign about 40 agreements that range from energy, finance, to aviation and tourism. Russia seeks closer cooperation with China as a result of Europe’s sanctions imposed on it due to the crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
December 3 – Taiwan
Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, resigns as chairman of the governing Kuomintang party after the party’s crushing defeat in the local elections held on November 29. Prime Minister Jiang Yi-huah and his cabinet step down for the same reason. The result of the elections is seen as the voters’ rejection of the party’s policies, including closer ties with China.
December 14 – Japan
Japan’s coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wins an overwhelming victory in the country’s snap parliamentary election, garnering over two-thirds of the votes. The election was called by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after the country fell into recession and is seen as an endorsement for his government’s economic policies. The parliament also re-elects Shinzo Abe as prime minister.