Access Asia

Mar 07 2025 24 ep. 12 mins 233
Access Asia Podcast artwork

Exclusive reports, features and analysis of political and social events from across the Asian continent. Friday at 3:45pm Paris time.

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Chinese exporters rush to adjust to changing trade environment

Mar 07 2025 12 mins  
China has kept its growth target for this year at around 5 percent, despite a new trade war with the United States. As the government shifts its focus on boosting domestic demand, businesses are seeking ways to adapt to a new trade environment.

EU goes on charm offensive in India amid tensions with Trump

Feb 28 2025 12 mins  
EU officials have undertaken an "unprecedented" visit to India in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump saying the bloc was formed to "screw" the United States. On this week's Access Asia, we find out what both sides gained from the visit. Plus, North Korea opens its doors to Western tourists for the first time in years. Finally, we see how Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" has b

Thousands freed from online scam hubs in Myanmar

Feb 21 2025 12 mins  
Around 10,000 people, mostly foreigners, have been freed from telecom fraud operations in Myanmar in recent days. Lured by lucrative job offers, they had found themselves trapped in scam centres where they were forced to work swindling people around the world. The latest crackdown sheds light on the multi-billion-dollar illegal industry, which has flourished in Myanmar's lawless bo

Rekindling bromance: Modi, Trump discuss defence cooperation, trade and migration

Feb 14 2025 12 mins  
"I missed you a lot": Donald Trump gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a warm welcome at the White House. But behind the hugs, smiles and handshakes were intense negotiations. The US president complained about India's high tariffs on US goods while offering the Asian nation access to F-35 fighter jets. The Indian leader, for his part, was eager to ease friction on trade and im

Medical care for Myanmar refugees paralysed as Trump shutters USAID

Feb 07 2025 12 mins  
US President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign aid programmes and effectively shut down USAID – the US government agency responsible for international development – has rattled countries across Asia. In Thailand, home to some 90,000 refugees from Myanmar, medical care for the displaced people has already been paralysed.

Tragedy hits Maha Kumbh Mela: Indian festival continues despite deadly stampede

Jan 31 2025 11 mins  
At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in northern India this week after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The official tally was released hours after the incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Days after the tragedy, some are still looking for their loved ones and despite the best efforts by authorities, hundreds of people wind up lost every day

Inspiration behind the ‘Squid Game’ doll explained

Jan 24 2025 11 mins  
We begin in Thailand where a law legalising same-sex marriage has taken effect. Thousands marked the occasion by formally registering their unions on the first day. We also speak to a father who took his employer to court over his right to paternity leave. Glen Wood explains his decade-long fight for a better workplace for parents in Japan. Finally, we meet the creator of Young-hee

Maha Kumbh Mela festival: India's soft power on display

Jan 17 2025 12 mins  
The Maha Kumbh Mela has got underway in northern India, with organisers expecting over 400 million visitors throughout the festival. In this week's show, we speak to India's permanent representative to UNESCO, who discusses how the Hindu festival is being used as a soft-power tool by New Delhi. Plus, we bring you a report on how Afghan migrants in Pakistan fear deportation. Finally

'Stop the steal': Understanding MAGA-style protests in South Korea

Jan 10 2025 13 mins  
This week, as South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol remained holed up in his presidential compound, thousands of his supporters guarding the site against attempts to arrest him held up US flags and banners saying "Stop the Steal" in English. That phrase was used by Donald Trump's supporters after the 2020 US presidential election. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer and Yena Lee take

Bhopal gas tragedy, 40 years on: Indian authorities finish moving toxic waste from site

Jan 03 2025 12 mins  
Forty years and one month after a deadly gas leak at a pesticide plant killed thousands in Bhopal, India, authorities say the last remaining toxic waste has been removed from the site. Activists say not enough measures are being taken to protect the environment and the population. Four decades after one of the world's worst industrial disasters, new generations of people are still