CNA Trump passes over mention of China in State of the Union address | East Asia Tonight (Feb 25)

In his first State of the Union address for his second term, US President Donald Trump boasts of economic successes, achievements in international peace but avoids mentioning strategic rivals. Also on East Asia Tonight: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing to reset ties, while Hong Kong’s finance chief unveils budget aimed at ramping up investment in AI training and innovation hubs.

00:00 Headlines
01:36 Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address
10:45 German Chancellor Merz on inaugural visit to his country’s largest trade partner
14:32 Tech stocks lift KOSPI, Nikkei to record highs
17:02 Hong Kong’s budget set to return to surplus after three years of deficits
26:59 C-beauty trends taking social media by storm
40:27 Global defence spending reached record US$2.6 trillion last year: IISS report
44:37 South Korea records more than 250,000 births in 2025

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