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From Trump and Kim’s handshake to 1MDB: the stories that shaped Asia in 2018

  • Dragged deeper into the rivalry between the United States and China, the region saw plenty of highs and lows throughout the year

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Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's prime minister, attends a news conference at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in July. Photo: Bloomberg
It was a year of adjustments for Asia as it was dragged deeper into the rivalry between the United States and China, a rift that culminated in a showdown at the Apec summit in Papua New Guinea. For the first time in the summit’s history, there was no joint communique issued.
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And even as countries tried to position themselves to benefit from changing geopolitical realities, they grappled with their own domestic highs and lows.

Here’s a brief recap of the stories that shaped Asia in 2018.

TRUMP MEETS KIM

They exchanged months of personal insults and threats of war, and then they decided to meet. In the end, it was a historic moment in Singapore when Donald Trump shook hands with Kim Jong-un, becoming the first sitting US president to meet a North Korean leader.
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Geopolitical theatrics were at full volume, and the stakes were high. The meeting had been called to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

US President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. Photo: AFP
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