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Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
28 July 2020
(pm) - 29 July
2020 (am)
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Greetings
This issue of Daily News Alert includes the following commentaries and citations attributed to researchers at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. You can click on their names to go to these articles directly.
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Country Studies
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Southeast Asia Countries
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Brunei Darussalam
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Laos
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Timor-Leste (East Timor)
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Region
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 Cambodia
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Evaluating the net worth of social media to the Kingdom: Although Cambodia was late to the party - only setting up its first minuscule 64 kbps internet connection in 1997 - the Kingdom's citizens, businesses and the government have since embraced technology as a tool to enhance their own livelihoods and future respectively. This is no truer than through social media, which all of the aforementioned have adopted as their go-to information sharing platform, creating a distinctive dynamic.
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Free trade deal with China finally finalised: Sok Sopheak, secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce and the head of Cambodia's negotiating team, however, did not disclose when the FTA between Cambodia and China will be signed, but he said that both parties were in agreement over the technical aspects and legal framework... Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Sopheak said the Cambodia-China bilateral Free Trade Agreement will be signed soon and is expected to be implemented early next year.
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Cambodia - With a Little Help - Charts Its Own COVID Course: Cambodia, like all members of ASEAN, has avoided a regional approach to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, with Prime Minister Hun Sen preferring to take the reins and govern as he sees fit. It's a reasonable strategy given the inability of ASEAN to act uniformly on any political issue to erupt in Southeast Asia, ranging from human rights to maritime disputes in the South China Sea or a coordinated approach to the new coronavirus.
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Indonesia
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Conflict, inequality create 'layers of violence' for Papuan women: Aside from the violence, [Papuan activist Esther Haluk] added that women of Papua were also subjected to systemic oppression through several gender-biased policies, such as the special autonomy funds that were allocated for women.
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Editorial: The natural resources graft: If the whole licensing and management system is not reformed with high standards of transparency in the concession-awarding process and the beneficial owners, the new natural resource policy will only centralize natural wealth corruption back in Jakarta.
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Most Indonesians want schools, colleges to reopen: According to the survey, published on Monday, 80.2 percent of 1,230 respondents polled from July 16 to 20 were in favor or reopening schools, while 19.8 percent were opposed to it. Cyrus Network CEO Eko Dafid Afianto said the average public approval score for the reopening of schools was 7.44, below the 7.89 average approval for government service offices reopening, the latter of which topped the list.
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Omnibus bill could boost productivity: Businesses: With Indonesia's low worker productivity standing as a barrier to investment, some businesspeople are expecting a proposed wage scheme in the government's omnibus bill on job creation to help reverse the tide of slow progress in bringing in investors.
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Govt to focus spending on food security, ICT next year: minister: Indonesia's state budget for next year will focus spending on three prioritized sectors - food security, industrial estate development, and information and communication technology (ICT). At the cabinet meeting, President Jokowi said he has decided to widen the deficit to 5.2 percent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is higher than the 4.7-percent deficit that was initially agreed upon.
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Investment in manufacturing sector soars 23.9 pct during Jan-June 2020: Investment in the manufacturing sector in the first semester of 2020 rose 23.9 percent to reach Rp129.6 trillion, from Rp104.6 trillion recorded during the corresponding period in 2019. "The government has committed to creating a conducive business climate though strategic policies to attract foreign and domestic investors to Indonesia," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita remarked during a webinar on the Mid-Year Economic Outlook 2020 here on Tuesday.
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Indonesia eyes Eurofighters to check China's threat: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is taking a long look at second-hand Eurofighter Typhoons on offer by the Austrian Air Force, a procurement that would aim to better check Chinese incursions into Indonesian waters in the South China Sea. Pricing appears to be the main reason for the former army general's interest in buying the 15 twin-engine Typhoons, which were acquired by Austria in 2002 amid lingering controversy over their cost-effectiveness and allegations of corruption. But unlike his predecessors, Prabowo has a more strategic view of what equipment Indonesia needs to boost its frontline air power and also add more guided-missile frigates to a navy facing increasing challenges from China on its northern maritime border.
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Bungled Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail line causes chaos: Construction of Indonesia's first high-speed rail line, linking the capital Jakarta with the country's third largest city, Bandung, has faltered amid mishaps - ranging from floods, landslides and cracked buildings - exacerbated by bad management and poor environmental protection procedures... The government originally presented the Jakarta-Bandung line as the first of many similar train lines connecting other Indonesian cities, including along the entire northern coast of Java. "Connected to the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project are plenty of other opportunities for investment in Indonesia," said Wilmar Salim, a researcher with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, an academic research centre based in Singapore.
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12
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Rangkap jabatan di BUMN adalah masalah bagi keadilan sosial [Duplication of positions at BUN is a problem for social justice]: Sebagai pemilik sekaligus konsumen BUMN, masyarakat ingin agar BUMN bisa melayani publik secara optimal, menjangkau seluruh lapisan, dengan biaya yang terjangkau, sesuai amanat undang-undang. Standar transparansi dan akuntabilitas yang tinggi diperlukan agar masyarakat yakin bahwa BUMN digunakan sesuai dengan kepentingan publik.
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Why Indonesia's human rights advocacy at the United Nations is often inconsistent and half-hearted: My recently published research shows Indonesia has frequently obstructed human rights enforcement in order to protect its reputation on the global stage. I observe this through two cases: Indonesia's rejection of proposals to reinforce the power of the UN Human Rights Council, and its attempts to block the council's requests to visit and assess the situation in Papua.
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Malaysia
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Isu calon PM, Shafie sahkan bertemu Anwar [The issue of PM candidate, Shafie confirmed meeting with Anwar]: Shafie berkata, beliau sudah menyatakan pendiriannya mengenai cadangan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang mencalonkannya sebagai Perdana Menteri dalam perjumpaan itu. ... Bagaimanapun, Shafie tidak menjelaskan secara terperinci jika pertemuan di Parlimen itu adalah satu perjumpaan rasmi atau bersifat santai.
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Safeguarding domestic producers during pandemic: According to data from the Trade Ministry, from 1995 to 2019 there were 377 initiations of safeguarding investigations. However, only 185 safeguards were granted. Furthermore, based on the given information, Indonesia is second-highest initiator of safeguard investigations (34 initiations) and the second-highest implementor safeguards (20 safeguarding measures).
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Putrajaya limits foreign workers only to construction, agriculture, plantations sectors: The government has determined that foreign workers will be limited to work in only three sectors to ensure that Malaysians will be employed after the economy was badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO) that followed.
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GE14 data won't assure Perikatan sweep in Kedah: PAST electoral data is no guarantee Perikatan Nasional can make a clean sweep of all 15 parliamentary seats in Kedah in the next general election, said analysts. Although the number of combined Malay votes won by Umno, PAS and Bersatu in federal seats in 2018 may show a win on paper, other obstacles line their path to victory, they said.
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Hawkers getting younger in pandemic-stricken economy: Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Association Malaysia president Yow Boon Chuan said he has seen a 20% increase in the number of enquiries about becoming a hawker from all over the country, compared with the usual number of enquiries before the movement-control order (MCO) was imposed mid-March. However, only 10% actually became hawkers after learning about the many rules and procedures involved.
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Umno members still support Najib: Several Umno members told The Malaysian Insight that the verdict was Nazlan's "interpretation, which may not be shared by the Court of Appeal..."
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What's in a conviction of a former PM? By letting matters take its course, Muhyiddin has distanced himself from the corrupt image that has tainted his former party Umno and established a moderate and gentle father figure image that he has worked hard to cultivate. It will be difficult to imagine that attempts to oust him from within PN will take place despite the rumour mill on overdrive.
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Apakah langkah pembelaan Najib selepas ini? [What are Najib's defensive measures after this?] Kini jelas bahawa usaha pasukan peguam Najib menimbulkan keraguan pada minda hakim bicara itu gagal. Pada hari Selasa lalu, pada kira-kira jam 11 pagi, ketika membaca teks penghakiman bertulisnya, hakim bicara Mohd Nazlan menyatakan: "Kesimpulannya, pada penghakiman saya, setelah menilai semua keterangan yang dikemukakan di mahkamah ini, saya dapati bahawa pihak pembelaan telah gagal mematahkan anggapan atas imbangan kebarangkalian terhadap tertuduh di bawah Seksyen 23(1) Akta SPRM."
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Kerjasama politik PN dihempas badai [PN's political cooperation was hit by a storm]: Jika dilihat dari sudut percaturan politik, secara asasnya penghakiman yang mendapati Najib bersalah boleh meningkatkan sokongan ahli-ahli Parlimen terhadap Parti Pribumi Bersatu (Bersatu) terutamanya kepada Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
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23
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Liku-liku perjalanan politik anak Perdana Menteri [The twists and turns of the Prime Minister's son's political journey]: Diangkat sebagai Perdana Menteri keenam, beliau merupakan anak perdana menteri pertama mengulangi kejayaan bapanya menjadi ketua kerajaan dalam sejarah politik Malaysia.
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24
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巫统，慕尤丁，谁比较需要谁？
[Umno and Muhyiddin - who needs whom more?]
巫统的阿末扎希和纳吉官司缠身，未来会怎样演变，还很难说得准。而有些看似巫统的死忠支持者，支持巫统是一回事，但是要从他们从阿末扎希和纳吉二人之中选一个首相人选，却犹豫不决。更别说那些游离选民，真的很难接受这二人是未来首相的可能。而慕尤丁刚好就填上了这个缺。
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诚信党或是希盟的软肋
? [Could Amanah be PH's Achilles' heel?]
诚信党的骨干是由离开伊斯兰党的开明派领袖所组成，在巫伊合作下，诚信党的价值必须体现在抑制马来社会对巫伊的支持率的能力，扩大开明派马来人的影响力。否则，很容易成为希盟的附属品，如同马华、民政、进步党和国大党在国阵沦为陪衬角色。
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Malaysia PM Muhyiddin says his govt will always uphold rule of law after Najib's verdict: The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government respects the High Court's guilty verdict against one of its MPs, Najib Razak, on seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday (July 28). He called on Malaysians to continue to have faith in the independent judicial system, following the guilty verdict delivered in Najib's case. "Let us continue to have faith in the judicial system. "I understand the feelings and sentiments you are experiencing - but let me stress that the government will always uphold the rule of law," Tan Sri Muhyiddin said in a statement.
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Najib out of running if KL calls snap polls: One thing is for certain now - Najib Razak will not return as Malaysia's leader should snap polls materialise. Before his conviction for graft yesterday, Najib was still a dark-horse bet for his old job despite leading his Barisan Nasional coalition to a shock 2018 general election defeat that was partly fuelled by his role in the billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Controversial recent settlements in the saga that have let Najib's son-in-law and investment bank Goldman Sachs off from prosecution had raised questions over whether Najib, who remains popular and is an influential ally in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, would be accorded the same treatment by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
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28
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Malaysia Didn't Go Back to the Future for Najib's 1MDB Verdict: "Unprecedented" gets thrown around a lot. The conviction of Malaysia's former prime minister truly is. The real significance of these court proceedings so far is that they happened, period. Granted, it took a historic change of government. That may be one of Mahathir's real services to his country after a life in and around politics. He created the circumstances that facilitated this unprecedented chain of events. The opposition now knows it can win, under the right circumstances, and leaders can be held to account.
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29
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Najib conviction strengthens Muhyiddin's hand, says analyst: Political scientist Wong Chin Huat said Muhyiddin could claim to be continuing the anti-corruption stance started by Pakatan Harapan (PH) "while giving PPBM a sort of differentiation from Umno".
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30
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Loyalty is to party, not individual, Khairy tells Umno: Khairy, who was one of the first in Umno to call for Najib's resignation as party president after Barisan Nasional's loss in the 2018 general election, also said it is time for the party to transition to another generation of leaders who could take Umno into a new era.
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31
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A Close Look at a Fashion Supply Chain Is Not Pretty: A new report on factories in Malaysia that create products for Brooks Brothers, Levi's, LL Bean and others examines the high prices workers pay for their jobs.
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32
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Yakin Muhyiddin tak akan sertai UMNO [Certain that Muhyiddin will not join UMNO]: Baru-baru ini Ahli Parlimen Padang Rengas, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz mempelawa Muhyiddin untuk kembali kepada UMNO bagi mengukuhkan parti terbesar orang Melayu itu, semua ahli dan pemimpin UMNO perlu bersikap terbuka dan menerimanya kembali.
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33
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Need to expedite the construction of JB-Singapore RTS: ROI aside, at least the project will benefit tens of thousands of people who make the daily commutes between Johor and Singapore as well as cross-border tourists. It should boost the travel industry not only for Johor but the whole Malaysia as well.
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Myanmar
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The new Myanmar casino town pretending to be part China's Belt and Road Initiative: The Shwe Kokko development on the Thai-Myanmar border faces a cloud of controversy over land grabs, illegal activity, gambling and local indigenous opposition to the project.
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35
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Myanmar's new import law to take effect in 2021: In late July Myanmar's president, Win Myint, decreed that a new import law will come into force in 2021, allowing the government to protect local industries while adhering to the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The "Law to Prevent an Increased Quantity of Imports" was passed in December 2019 and will take effect on July 1st next year, according to a presidential notification earlier this month. The law allows a country to impose restrictions on imports, as per the WTO rules, to protect local manufacturers who are under threat from an excessive inflow of foreign goods.
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China won't end Myanmar's conflict with the United Wa State Army: Most visibly, China supports the strongest and largest EAO, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which has been fighting for self-determination for over 30 years. China is a stakeholder in peace negotiations and contributes to the longevity of the civil war. But it is unlikely that China will take decisive action end the civil conflict in Myanmar. It is unclear that it even can.
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Ethnic Karens Press Myanmar Army to Remove Troops Over Killing of Civilian: Thousands of ethnic Karens rallied in southeastern Myanmar's Kayin state on Tuesday, adding a demand that the government withdraw troops from their district to previous calls for justice for a woman shot dead by two soldiers in her home this month.
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For Myanmar's Elections to Be Free and Fair Rohingya Must Get the Right to Vote: Already, several questions loom over this test of the country's democratic trajectory. How will the government ensure ethnic civilians displaced by armed conflict can vote? How will Facebook protect voters from disinformation? How will the government manage campaigns and polling in the age of COVID-19? These are tough challenges. But there is another critical question, easy to resolve, that will also determine whether the exercise is free and fair: Will the government ensure the right to vote for Rohingya?
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Philippines
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Duterte rocks Philippine telcos with threat to seize assets: The Philippines' leading telecom companies have found themselves on the defensive once again after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to close them and seize their assets if they do not improve their services.Duterte zeroed in on the telecom duopoly of PLDT and Globe Telecom as he railed against the country's business elites -- which he often brands "oligarchs" -- during his annual congressional address on Monday.
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Singapore
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Opinion: Can Singapore maintain its sweet spot between China and the US? The island nation has maintained its ties with Washington and Beijing without provoking the ire of either side. But as US-China relations deteriorate and tensions grow in the South China Sea amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore's balancing act will prove trickier.
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Thailand
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Commentary: Thailand has done well in taming the coronavirus pandemic so what's with these protests? The recent resurgence of anti-government flashmobs in Thailand last week has once again raised the political temperature. But one clear silver lining in the increasingly ominous clouds is the diminishing fear of COVID-19 in the Thai kingdom, not least among the young protestors who are demanding drastic political changes.
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Thailand tops global ranking for handling of Covid-19 crisis: Thailand ranked highest in a global survey for its effective handling of Covid-19 and recovery from the crisis. The Global Covid-19 Index (GCI), published yesterday (July 28), gave Thailand an index score of 82.06, putting it on top of the global chart as an example of best practices in tackling the dreaded virus.
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Vietnam
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Vietnam's Leadership In ASEAN: Opportunity In Crisis: The first half of 2020 has brought both tangible achievements and challenges for Vietnam. In the second half of the year, Vietnam will need to continue its effective leadership in ASEAN by speeding up economic recovery and pushing for face-to-face COC negotiations. A recovered economy not only bolsters Vietnam's diplomatic status but also frees up its attention and resources to focus on regional issues. This will necessarily need to include the informal economy which was asymmetrically negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the slow and bumpy recovery in the United States and Europe might delay Vietnam's own recovery as these are two critical trading partners of Vietnam. At the same time, since other ASEAN countries are also struggling with the same issue, Vietnam could leverage economic recovery into a shared goal for regional cooperation and put forward ideas to accelerate recovery.
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ASEAN membership fuels Vietnam's trade with regional markets: Since Vietnam became an official member of ASEAN on July 28, 1995, bilateral trade has increased sharply, making ASEAN the fourth largest importer of Vietnam at present, following the US, the EU and China.
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Vietnam driving force behind growing digital economy and e-commerce in ASEAN: Despite being a newly emerging industry in the nation, the first half of the year saw e-commerce enjoy a growth rate of 25%, withstanding the wide-ranging impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the process.
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Can Vietnam Prevent the Next Pandemic? A growing awareness of the links between wildlife trafficking and SARS, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases has prompted the Vietnamese prime minister to issue an executive order to clamp down on this vast smuggling trade in endangered species. During recent months, conservation NGOs and Hanoi's Ministry of Health have alerted the government to the increasing danger of new zoonotic diseases being triggered by the nation's wildlife trade.
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New renewable energy policy enters limelight: With its strong commitment to reducing CO2 emissions and with a healthy investment outlook, Vietnam has been deemed by industry insiders to be the most exciting renewable energy market in Southeast Asia.
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Vietnam's trade surplus continued to grow in H1 despite Covid-19: The General Department of Customs (GDC) showed that Vietnam had a trade surplus of $1.8 billion in June, which raised the total surplus in H1 to $5.5 billion, or 3.4 times higher than the same period last year. The biggest surplus was seen from April to June, when the economy was directly affected by the epidemic.
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ASEAN/Southeast Asia
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49
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"
中心主义
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思维在东南亚行不通
["Centralism" mentality will not work in Southeast Asia]:
从中国的角度而言，东南亚地区依托资源禀赋、劳动力人口、后发潜力等优势，是实现优势互补和推动互利合作的重点区域之一，也是中国推进
"
一带一路
"
合作和实施国内国际双循环相互促进发展格局的周边战略空间所在。特别是在安全层面上，东南亚地区是与中国战略互补性、互惠性最强的区域。某种意义上说，这一区域将是最先感知中国发展和崛起的区域，而南海问题无疑是
"
试金石
"
。在当前美国加大南海搅局的态势下，笔者认为关键是要以
"
去中心化
"
理念来应对美国的霸权思维。
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50
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Asean can go beyond U.S.-China dynamic: Who will be dominant? Must rising powers always go to war with established powers? Can the United States assemble an Indo-Pacific alliance to balance China? All urgent questions -- but some recent Asian perspectives (including from a Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific survey) suggest growing impatience.
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51
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Coronavirus stalks Southeast Asia's once-thriving unicorns: In this more sober environment, the attractions of Southeast Asia as a growth play have stuttered. In a market that was expanding by double-digit percentages each year, and where unicorns seemed destined to progress to decacorn status, the coronavirus correction is a reality check for investors and a setback for the region's burgeoning startup ecosystem -- at least until the pandemic is brought under control.
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52
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South Korea's New Southern Policy and ASEAN-ROK Relations: Despite intense focus on South Korea's renewed push for inter-Korea engagement, the Moon Jae-in government continues to expand its outreach to Southeast Asia and India through its New Southern Policy (NSP). President Moon demonstrated his commitment to Southeast Asia, visiting all 10 ASEAN countries in his first two years in office... What explains South Korea's southern pivot, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the NSP as the Moon government prepares to unveil NSP 2.0 later this year?
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53
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ASEAN loses a third of mangroves in last 40 years: The ASEAN region lost about 33 per cent of its mangrove forests between 1980 and 2020, a decrease of more than 63,000sq km, said the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). Nations that comprise ASEAN have just around 43,000sq km of mangrove forests remaining.
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Asia Pacific
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Singapore hopes US can stabilise its relations with China, says PM Lee Hsien Loong: Singapore hopes the United States is able to stabilise its relationship with China, because Asia depends on stable ties between the two countries to have a secure and predictable environment to prosper, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (July 28). He made the point in an online interview when American businessman David Rubenstein had asked him what he would say to an incoming US president seeking advice on how to strengthen the country's relationship with Asia.
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55
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Reforms, Opportunities, and Challenges for State-Owned Enterprises: This book explores issues relating to the role and performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, and Viet Nam... it posits that government agenda should focus on SOE reforms to promote the long-term productivity-induced growth that is essential to Asia's transition to high-income status.
[370-page PDF document]
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56
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On China, the US speaks loudly but carries no stick: The Trump administration's first-term regional policy has been an incoherent mess. While these latest moves are an attempt to achieve more consistency than in the past, it is more than likely that the gambit to toughen up on China will fail to achieve its desired ends. There are several reasons for this beyond the basic fact that the government under Trump has been unable to develop and advance a consistent approach to US interests in Asia. The contrast in tone and means between the White House's China strategy published in May and the content of Pompeo's speech is illustrative of an administration that speaks in multiple and non-harmonic voices about its Asia policy.
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East/South China Sea
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Dino Patti Djalal: Indonesia wants restraint in the South China Sea: Diplomat and politician Dr Dino Patti Djalal said, 'So, I think relations with China have dramatically and significantly intensified, particularly in the last five years or so.' Dijlal said the driver was economic. China moved very fast on trade, he said. 'Two decades ago, they were nowhere to be seen, but now they're one of the biggest investors in Indonesia.' The relationship was multidimensional and had varying levels of intensity. 'But if you look at the metrics economically and politically, these are two different things. The Chinese have some difficulties in terms of public reception in Indonesia-the Chinese workers, for example. And then politically on the Natuna issue.'
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As US pledges help in South China Sea, Vietnam wary of antagonising Beijing: A recent US agreement with Vietnam to assist its fishing vessels against 'illegal intimidation' is unlikely to extend to military support at sea. While Vietnam opposes China's moves in the waterway and may even take legal action, it has been cautious in its response to the US offer to help.
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Opinion: US shift on South China Sea matters most for Manila: Of all countries, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's latest statement on the South China Sea disputes is of greatest consequence to its oldest Asian ally, the Philippines... Not only has the United States rejected Beijing's historic rights claims over fisheries resources in Indonesia's Natuna waters, but it has also questioned claims over the Vanguard Bank and James Shoal, low-tide elevations that fall within Vietnamese and Malaysian continental shelves. The most consequential aspect of the US' statement, however, concerns the Philippines' claims, particularly over the Scarborough Shoal, Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal.
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Australia to step up South China Sea defence cooperation with US - but won't commit to patrols: Payne and the defence minister, Linda Reynolds, agreed in face-to-face talks with their US counterparts, Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper, to pursue "increased and regularised maritime cooperation" in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, "bilaterally and in concert with other likeminded and regional partners". The joint statement declares that Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea "are not valid under international law", but Australia appears to have held firm against conducting freedom of navigation exercises within 12 nautical miles of disputed features.
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Probability is Growing for Accidentally Triggered Incidents: As the U.S. intensifies its military operation in the South China Sea, China will adopt corresponding countermeasures, such as tracking and monitoring as well as warning and expulsion. The more intensifying U.S. military operations, the more chances for accidentally triggered incidents.
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The U.S. Military Could Easily Destroy China's South China Sea Bases: The islands of the SCS have some military relevance, but are more important as a political claim to waterways and undersea resources. Militarily, they represent a thin crust on China's A2/AD system. Under certain conditions this crust could disrupt U.S. freedom of action, but it won't be hard for the United States' Air Force and Navy to punch through.
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AIIB
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63
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Full text: Xi Jinping's address at opening ceremony of fifth annual meeting of AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank)
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64
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Xi vows to revamp AIIB as model for multilateral cooperation: Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed on Tuesday to turn the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank into an inclusive platform for the promotion of international cooperation amid the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In a message delivered online to the annual board meeting of the AIIB, Xi said China will walk the talk on multilateralism.
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