National government
Head of state
Thein Sein recalls Myanmar's reform process
Former president says daunting challenges remain in Myanmar’s democratic transition. “I never dreamt of becoming president,” said Thein Sein, who stepped down as Myanmar president last year after a historic five-year term. Speaking at a regional forum in central Japan, he added that “the situation ...
Laos, Singapore to further enhance cooperation
Laos and Singapore will further enhance their relations and continue cooperation in the development of various fields. This was the main theme of a meeting on January 12 between President Bounnhang Vorachit and the President of the Republic of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, when ...
President Tan arrives in Laos for state visit
Fresh off his state visit to Cambodia, President Tony Tan Keng Yam arrived on January 11 in Vientiane, the capital city of neighbouring Laos. Dr Tan, in Laos for a state visit until Saturday, was received at the Wattay International Airport by Lao Health Minister ...
Laos, Vietnam seeks to boost cooperative relations
Lao and Vietnamese leaders have discussed a number of issues in a move to consolidate the cooperative relations, friendship and special solidarity between the two countries. At a meeting held between Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Pham ...
Vietnam, Cambodia want to consolidate ties: PMs
Top government leaders of Vietnam and Cambodia have expressed wishes to cement and develop bilateral ties in the spirit of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, all-faceted and long-lasting cooperation”. During talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on December 20, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech ...
Thailand's crown prince becomes country's new king
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, became Thailand’s new king on December 1 after he accepted an invitation from parliament to succeed his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October. King Bhumibol, 88, was widely loved and regarded as a pillar of stability during decades of ...
Japan's PM seeks improved ties with China - government spokesman
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 20 that he aims to improve ties with China by capitalizing on key anniversaries for bilateral relations in the next few years, a Japanese government spokesman said. The two leaders held impromptu talks while ...
'An epochal change': what a Trump presidency means for the Asia Pacific region
From China and Japan to India and the countries of south-east Asia, leaders are being confronted by the unknowns of a new American president. Donald Trump’s victory has the potential to radically redraw the geopolitical landscape in Asia, where Barack Obama has been trying to counterbalance ...
Anxiety in Manila as Duterte blasts U.S., embraces China
During long hours stuck in Manila’s choking traffic, taxi driver Maning Yabut constantly hears about the anxieties of Filipinos from all walks of life. These days, the talk is all about whether President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-U.S. outbursts are good for the Philippines. Particularly concerned, he ...
President inspects Biluchaung Hydro-power Plant 2 in Kayah State
President U Htin Kyaw, together with Union Ministers U Than Myint, U Thein Swe and U Pe Zin Tun and Deputy Minister Maj-Gen Than Htut, visited Loikaw in Kayah State on November 3 and met with local officials, entrepreneurs, farmers and residents in Linphonlay Village. The ...