Government
International relations
Southeast Asian free trade deal pushed back to 2019
Leaders of Southeast Asian nations have again pushed back an agreement on a pan-Asian free trade deal amid a whirlwind of diplomacy Wednesday at their annual summit. In convening talks among the leaders of countries participating in the plan, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ...
Lancang-Mekong FTZ can spur regional growth amid pressure of US trade protectionism
As Sino-US trade tension intensifies, there has been talk that China plans to set up a free trade zone (FTZ) on the border between Thailand and Laos. If the FTZ becomes a reality, it will be part of a long-term effort to achieve closer economic ...
Myanmar's neighbors to call for 'accountability' in Rakhine crisis: draft statement
Southeast Asian nations will call for those responsible for atrocities in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to be held “fully accountable”, according to a statement prepared for a regional summit, reflecting a stronger line being taken within the group. The draft of the chairman’s statement, which was reviewed ...
Chinese Premier Li says talks on South China Sea code should end in three years
China’s Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday that Beijing hoped a consultation with Southeast Asian nations on a code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea would be completed in three years, and that such an deal would bolster free trade. Keep reading ...
The tussle in Mekong basin
Countries in the Mekong basin, notably those located in the lower part of the river – Asia’s seventh longest – are in need of a collective strategy to secure their future, given China’s control of the upstream part and ongoing changes in global geo-politics. The ...
What China’s vision of a ‘community of shared future’ means for the countries of the Mekong river
The countries of the Mekong should build a “community of shared future”, said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in December last year. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperative Framework is “practical and highly effective”, he said. “We do not go after a high-profile ‘talk shop’, but a down-to-earth ...
Six Mekong Countries to Intensify “Safe Mekong Initiative” as Drug Production Increases
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Niyom Termsrisuk announced yesterday that a heightened cooperation between six countries as part of the anti-drug Safe Mekong initiative has contributed to the interception of large drug hauls entering Thailand from neighboring Mekong countries. Keep reading ...
China Pushes Free-Trade Zone in Mekong Region with Thailand, Laos
As the trade war with the U.S. intensifies, China is looking to strengthen commercial ties with countries in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia by setting up a free-trade zone on the border between Thailand and Laos. In the planned zone, Beijing will waive tariffs ...
Myanmar agrees smaller deal for China-backed port after 'debt-trap' concern
Myanmar on Thursday signed an agreement with China’s state-run CITIC Group to begin work on a deep-sea port in the west of the country, after negotiations that saw the initial phase of the project scaled back over fears of a “debt trap”. Myanmar Deputy Minister of ...
Who should be afraid of the Belt and Road? China
As a line on a map, Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link makes sense. Slashing diagonally across the peninsula from Port Klang at one end to the port of Kuantan and towns north at the other, the project looks well-situated to encourage travel and commerce, and ...
