Category Archives: NEWS DIGEST

EXSE FOCUS

Pak Lay Dam to Displace Residents in More Than 20 Villages in Northwestern Laos–Radio Free Asia At least 1,000 families from 20-some villages in northwestern Laos’ Xayaburi province will be forced to relocate if infrastructure officials move ahead with plans to build a fourth hydropower dam on the Lower Mekong River, a provincial official said Monday. The Pak Lay hydropower project is located downstream of the Xayaburi dam, which is now in the final stages of completion. It will be built approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Thai border.// The Mekong River Commission will soon kick off the local   consultation process in Laos for this project – most important question to ask is – who’s gonna buy this power?

Southeast Asia’s largest solar project to be built in Vietnam–VnExpress InternationalThe $420 million project, a Thailand-Vietnam joint venture, is set to open for commercial use in June 2019. Vietnamese construction firm Xuan Cau and Thailand conglomerate B.Grimm have teamed up to build Southeast Asia’s largest solar power plant in TayNinh Province.//Who needs Pak Lay Dam in 2029 when two of these solar projects will do the trick? And can be ready for operation in less than two years….

 Taiwan‘s New Southbound Policy Meets the US Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy–The Diplomat Taiwan’s NSP has potential convergences with the United States’ Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP) strategy. By aligning with FOIP, Taiwan has an opportunity to gain an important seat at the multilateral and international table, one that may help to preserve its autonomy and territorial sovereignty, but may also lead to the island functioning as a bargaining chip for U.S. counterbalances against China. // The Taiwanese government should acknowledge the potential risks of too much alignment with the US’s strategy as China may apply more preasure on Taiwan.

The Belt and Road Bubble Is Starting to Burst– Foreign Policy In a sense, the Sicomines resources-for-infrastructure agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been just another underperforming deal in a country with no shortage of them. But it is also more than that — namely, a window into the flaws at the heart of Chinese international economic policy, which is already costing its economy dearly.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

 New joint patrol starts on Mekong River–XinhuaNet A new round of joint patrols on the Mekong River with law enforcement personnel from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand started Tuesday, the 71st mission since 2011, to make the border river safer. Ships set sail from Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, with patrols covering a total of 256 kilometers, according to Yunnan border police.//China is sending four brown water ships up and down the river to make it “safer” – many speculate the patrols also provide cover for the trafficking of drugs, people, and endangered wildlife throughout the Golden Triangle.

Japan Says Will Support Asean Connectivity– Jakarta Globe Japan is keen to support the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, in realizing its vision for centrality, unity and connectivity, a Japanese official said on Tuesday (26/06). “We’d like to support Asean’s centrality, unity and also connectivity – that’s the most important point, because Asean is now focusing on connectivity,” Japan’s ambassador to Asean, Kazuo Sunaga, said.

China in Vogue, But Vietnam Still Hun Sen’s Lifeline– The Diplomat If the secret to notoriety in Cambodia’s fast-vanishing pro-opposition news media has long been to publish stories critical of Vietnam, the unwritten rule of the tightly government-controlled television news media has been to steer as wide as possible of them. With every terrestrial station owned either by top officials from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) or their allies, it’s a norm that those looking to stay in the good graces of leaders installed by Hanoi in January 1979 have done their best to heed.

Japan to help develop Indonesian islands in South China Sea–South China Morning Post Japan said Monday it will provide 2.5 billion yen (US$23 million) in aid to Indonesia for the development of fishery facilities on remote islands, at a time when China’s clout in the region is increasing.The signing of a document on the aid was witnessed by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Indonesian counterpart RetnoMarsudi in Jakarta, who discussed issues ranging from economic cooperation and maritime security to anti-terrorism measures.

Top Generals From Cambodia, Thailand Meet to Discuss Border Security–VOA Enhancing cross-border security topped the agenda at a meeting between high ranking military officials from Cambodia and Thailand last week. Gen. Pol Saroeun, the Cambodian commander-in-chief, met with Gen. Thanchaiyan Srisuwan, head of the Thai military, on Friday at the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces headquarters in Phnom Penh. //Will this reduce cross border crime and prevent potential border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia?

Japan to help Vietnam get a better grasp of land prices–Nikkei Asian Review Japan hopes to pave the way for its companies in Vietnam and other Asian markets by exporting techniques for real estate appraisal, creating opportunities by fostering urbanization and financial industries. Vietnam’s northern coastal city of Haiphong will consider introducing the methods this summer with specialists commissioned by Japan’s land ministry.

Indonesia to enhance economic partnership with Tunisia: Minister– Jakarta Post Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita led an Indonesian trade mission to Tunisia to try and enhance the economic partnership between the two countries. The trade mission organized a business forum to foster trade, investment and an economic partnership between Indonesia and Tunisia. The forum was attended by Tunisian Trade Minister Omar Behi and various businesspeople.

Singapore takes over command of multi-national counter-piracy task force–The Straits Times The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has taken over the command of a multinational counter-piracy task force – Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 – from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. A change of command ceremony was held on Thursday (June 28) at the Naval Support Activity, Bahrain.

 SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Southeast Asian countries zero in on marine protection in Bali meeting– Jakarta Post
Delegates from Southeast Asian countries are sharing their experiences in implementing marine environment protection conventions set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in a three-day high level meeting in Bali. The first high-level regional meeting of the Marine Environmental Protection of the Southeast Asian Seas Project (MEPSEAS Project), an IMO program that aims to increase protection of the marine environment in Southeast Asia, was opened in Seminyak on Monday.

China’s scrap plastic ban saddles neighbors with piles of problems–Nikkei Asian Review The world is awash with scrap plastic, six months after No. 1 importer China closed its doors to the recyclable materials on environmental grounds. The ripple effects are hitting the shores of Southeast Asia’s emerging countries, which have seen a surge in plastic shipments — not all of them legal. //This causes environmental problems in Thailand and is now forcing the Thai government to consider possible actions to take to solve this problem. See below

 Thailand bans scrap plastic imports– Plastics Recycling Update The government of Thailand has banned all scrap plastic from entering its ports, amid a major increase in shipments to the country and others in Southeast Asia. According to a June 24 news release, Thailand’s Department of Industrial Works “has issued a prohibition on further imports of electronic and plastic waste effective immediately, and will be proposing to the Ministry of Industry to issue an indefinite ban on these imports in the near future. Total imports of these wastes into Thailand have already surpassed the totals from 2017.

MRC, JICA Launch a Joint Study on Mekong Forest Conservation for Better Basin Management–MRC
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have launched a joint study on forest conservation and river basin management in the lower Mekong basin as part of their effort to better manage and conserve the environmental health of the basin. The launch was announced at a kick-off meeting held today in Vientiane, Lao PDR, where the MRC and JICA signed the project’s memorandum of cooperation in the presence of 40 officials from both sides.

Achieving universal electricity access in Cambodia–The ASEAN Post Countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia have lower electrification rates compared to the rest of the region, with 95 percent of those without electricity in the region concentrated in these four countries. In Southeast Asia as a whole, Cambodia has one of the lowest electrification rates. Currently, Cambodia’s electrification rate is just 60 percent, with only 62 percent of villages and 53 percent of households having access to grid quality electricity in the country.

Aim for sustainable future, says UN–Khmer Times The United Nations Environment Program has urged Cambodia to focus more on sustainable development, while it also applauded the conservation achievements in the country.

Yangon could consume 3,000 MW of electricity by 2021-22–Myanmar Times Yangon Region is expected to require 3,000MW of electricity by 2021-22, Daw Su Hlaing Wint, assistant manager of the Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) said at the Electricity and Energy Expo in Yangon on June 22. That’s the amount of electricity currently being generated across Myanmar, of which Yangon now consumes just over half at 1,548MW.

CHINA

China steelmakers shift focus to south-east Asia– Financial Times Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars in planned steel and coal projects as they chase new markets by shifting production to south-east Asia.In the past four years, Chinese steel companies have funded 32m tonnes of annual capacity in new steel projects in Indonesia and Malaysia, according to a Financial Times calculation, equivalent to more than 40 per cent of steel consumption in 2016 by the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states.

China hits back at US investment rules– BBC The Chinese government has criticised a US move to expand the powers of its foreign investment watchdog. The government is worried that the move means the US will use national security concerns unfairly in order to restrict Chinese investments.

China’s coal heartland to put emissions caps on industry as part of battle against pollution–South China Morning Post The major coal producing province of Shanxi in northern China will impose special emissions restrictions on big industrial sectors by October as part of its bid to curb smog, a local environmental official said. Shanxi, together with neighbouring Shaanxi, is set to be included in China’s new three-year action plan to curb air pollution, with emissions in the two provinces second only to the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei industrial region.

The AIIB needs to deliver governance to match its rhetoric– ChinaDialogue When the bankers descend on Mumbai next week for the third annual general meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), many will ask whether the world’s newest multilateral development bank has lived up to its promises since it was founded in 2015.

Focus on cities could cut China’s emissions by 30pct- researchers– Reuters China could slash its climate-changing emissions by 30 percent if all its cities cleaned up pollution from their dirtiest power plants and factories, researchers said on Wednesday. The world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases needs to focus on its urban areas in order to meet national-level targets under the international Paris Agreement to curb global warming, according to scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Japan to help China tackle air pollution– NHK Japan’s environment minister and his Chinese counterpart have agreed to work together to tackle air pollution in China. Masaharu Nakagawa met with Li Ganjie on Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Their discussions were held the day before a trilateral meeting of environment ministers that South Korea’s environment chief will also attend.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Regime signals polls could be delayed until May– Bangkok PostThe 2019 general election will likely be held by May 5 next year, Deputy Prime Minister WissanuKrea-ngam after a pre-poll meeting at the Army Club between politicians and the regime.Politicians appeared satisfied as they emerged after the discussion on Monday afternoon, citing “positive signs: even though the poll date and the political activities ban have yet to be resolved. //Second election delay in the past 6 months, which will increase the political tension already present in Thailand.

Overcoming the outages: how to keep the lights on in Myanmar– Southeast Asia Globe
Tales abound in Myanmar of surgeries completed using light from cell phones and cars crashing immediately after the lights go out. About 41% of Myanmar people are without access to electricity at all, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam fuelled by fears at home carry risk– South China Morning Post
Anti-government protesters in Vietnam who are using historic wariness towards ethnic Chinese as a cover for their frustrations are treading a damaging path. The nations are working together on the shared development offered by the “Belt and Road Initiative”, but the demonstrations stir unjustified anger and resentment.

Acceleration propelling mega-project development, PM tells legislators–Vientiane Times
Mega-development projects with construction underway are being accelerated in an effort to bolster economic growth, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly (NA) recently. Presenting the socio-economic development report to the ongoing 5th Ordinary Session of the NA’s 8th legislature, the nation’s Head of the Government said action is being intensified to realise the benefits of mega infrastructure projects.

Vietnam to host first UN peacekeeping course in Southeast Asia–VN ExpressVietnam has been selected as the first destination for the United Nations Peacekeeping training course in the Southeast Asian region.The United Nations announced the decision after making an evaluation that facilities in the country meet international standards.

Malaysia to review national service programme– Channel NewsAsia Malaysia will review its national service programme, which was compulsory for randomly selected batches of 18-year-old Malaysians before it was reintroduced in 2016 as a voluntary programme. In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said he will hold a meeting on the matter on Thursday (Jun 28), and a review of the entire national service programme will be raised in the Cabinet.

New partnership to build Cambodia’s biggest data centre–Khmer Times A new joint venture of local and international companies will result in the creation of the biggest data centre in the country, boosting the Kingdom’s capabilities to provide digital and cloud services.

Laos faces structural issues despite robust expansion–The Nation Laos is still grappling with several challenges and pending issues impeding macroeconomic development despite robust expansion of the country’s economy when compared to regional peers.

YUNNAN 

Province-wide dragnet targets illegal ivory trade–GoKunming A wide-ranging law enforcement sweep of Yunnan border areas ended recently with the confiscation of an enormous amount of ivory. The operation targeted illegally imported rare animal products, with a focus on those coming from elephants. Police and local media outlets are extremely confident in the anti-trafficking measures, declaring that the ivory trade in Yunnan has “essentially been eliminated”, media outlet Yunnan Net reports.

This week’s news digest was curated by Chen-Sheng Hong and Kevin Rutigliano. Chen-Sheng is moving on to greener pastures and we wish him the best!

EXSE FOCUS

Thai energy review could lead to suspension of Mekong dam–The Third Pole A major energy review by Thailand has delayed the launch of a controversial dam on the Mekong. This could lead to further questions about future hydropower projects along the river. Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia programme, said that, “the prospects for the Pak Beng dam to move ahead as originally planned are unlikely given EGAT’s adjustments to a renewable energy transition.”

Renewable energy goal raised to 30%–The Nation Siri, in announcing the target for green-sourced energy, said the drafting of a proposal for a 300-megawatt biomass project in the three southernmost provinces expedited – for completion within two months – before it is forwarded to the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC).

Lao PDR Submits Notification on the Pak Lay Hydropower Project to MRC for Prior Consultation– MRC  The Mekong River Commission Secretariat has received an official notification from the Lao Government that it will undertake the formal process of prior consultation on its Pak Lay hydropower project in the Pak Lay area in the Lao PDR’s northern province of Xayaburi. The run-of-river dam will operate continuously year-round and produce 770 megawatts of electricity. //Still unknown which off-taker market will buy the power generated from this dam…

ACMECS leaders adopt 5-year plan–Bangkok Post The leaders of five Mekong River basin countries on Saturday adopted a five-year master plan focused on improving transport infrastructure, harmonising trade and investment rules, and human resources development.

  Related: Five-nation meeting plays to diverse strengths–Bangkok Post 

     Related:  Thailand Proposes New Fund for Southeast Asian Sub-region–Radio Free Asia

Truly wielding power: How China wants to create the world’s first global electricity grid–OZY Deep in a tangle of planning bureaucracies in western Beijing, the future of a country nearly 3,000 kilometers away is under discussion. Xie Qiuye, president of China’s Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute, has been charged with developing an electricity plan for Laos, a nation struggling with a glut of the energy supplied by Chinese-built dams on the Mekong river.

Trump, Kim Begin New Phase of Diplomacy–WSJ President Donald Trump launched a high-stakes diplomatic effort to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons, betting that a friendlier approach with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un—including a surprise promise to halt military exercises with South Korea—would work better than intimidation.

   Related: Winners and losers from the Trump-Kim summit–The Washington Post

    Related: Trump to Suspend Military Exercise on Korean Peninsula–NYT

    Related: The Trump-Kim Summit: The View From Japan–The Diplomat

    Related: Southeast Asia’s choice: what the Singapore summit means for the region– Southeast Asia Globe

Related: The North Korea Summit Gave Trump a Genuine Victory. But China May Benefit Most–TIME

REGIONAL RELATIONS

ASEM takes action in response to climate change–Nhan Dan The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference on’ Climate Action to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – Ways Forward’ took place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, on June 19. Discussions focused on development amid climate change, the combination between climate action and sustainable development goals, and measures to boost Asia-Europe climate partnerships toward sustainable development.

ASEAN and the New South China Sea Reality–The Diplomat China is stepping up its efforts to achieve the effective control and militarization of the South China Sea. In mid-May, the People’s Liberation Army announced that it had landed bombers, including an H-6K, on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Islands, over which China has taken effective control.

Malaysia and Australia: New Focus on an Old Scandal– The Diplomat The election of Mahathir Mohamad and the PakatanHarapan (PH) coalition he helped lead last month in Malaysia was a new day for voters who have been governed by the same party since independence. For Australia, however, it also raised the prospect of the days prior to NajibRazak’s leadership of the Southeast Asian state, which were characterized by periods of tension and at times antagonism.

Prayut meets May in London– Bangkok Post Small groups welcomed and protested against the visit as Theresa May urged free and fair elections, as Gen Prayut promised them ‘early next year.Gen Prayut has said his visit is not political, and he seeks only to enhance trade and encourage European investment.

Japan injects 23b kip to promote education in Laos– Vientiane Times The government of Japan recently provided more than 23 billion kip (JPY 310 million) through the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) for education assistance in Laos.The scholarship funds will be provided to government officials across the country to upgrade their knowledge and promote the education of future Lao leaders.

 Related: Workers from Laos to upgrade skills in Japan–The Nations

UK to help Malaysia recover assets, rebuild finances– Channel NewsAsia The United Kingdom on Wednesday (Jun 13) expressed its willingness to help Malaysia recover illegal assets in its country.British High Commissioner to Malaysia Vicki Treadell said this after meeting with MrDaimZainuddin, the chairman of the Council of Eminent Persons. She also said that the UK would support the Malaysian government in rebuilding its finances.

Vietnam, Japan enjoy sound strategic relations: Deputy PM–Nhan Dan Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh expressed his delight at the strong development of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima in Tokyo on June 11.

Related: State visit gives boost to Vietna-Japan relations–VietnamNet

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam robs Cambodian villagers of homes and livelihoods–South China Morning Post Holdouts of Cambodia’s Lower Sesan II Dam hoping for an eleventh-hour lifeline to maintain ties with their Phnong ethnic roots

Vietnam‘s renewable energy yet to get wind in its sails–VnExpress The target of 800 and 6,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020 and 2030 looks beyond reach. Vietnam is far away from realizing its short and medium term wind power goals, with no ready solution in sight to several impediments, experts say.

Mekong Delta land erosion set to worsen, residents warned–VnExpress The land erosion problem in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta has assumed drastic proportions, officials warned the region’s residents at a meeting held on Monday. The ministry said there were 562 erosion locations with total length of 786 kilometers. This included 55 “critically dangerous” locations that are 173 kilometers long, 140 “dangerous” locations 97 kilometers long, and 367 “normal” erosion spots 516 kilometers long.

An Environmental Report Card for Southeast Asia– The Diplomat While evaluating every environmental issue that has arisen in every country is unfeasible; it is possible to conduct a general overview of what has happened so far in 2018. How are forests, oceans, mangroves, and wildlife faring in the region so far in 2018?

Climate change to slash Cambodia’s productivity–Khmer Times Even if current levels of spending on climate change adaptation are maintained, rising temperatures in the Kingdom will continue to impact economic performance, reducing the country’s GDP by almost 10 percent by the year 2050, a report released Tuesday has found.

Temporary closure not enough to restore Thailand’s Maya Bay–Mekong Eye Starting this month, the tiny and stunningly scenic Maya Bay off Thailand’s Andaman coast, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 film The Beach, is closed to visitors. Two decades of being Thailand’s top tourist attraction has overwhelmed the island’s ecology.

Thailand becoming ‘garbage bin of world’–The Nation EXPERTS on waste management and environmental protection are warning that Thailand could become the garbage bin of the world, as the government’s policies to promote the waste-to-energy industry have already resulted in plastic waste imports to the Kingdom.

         Related: E-waste shunned by China piles up in Thailand-Bangkok Post

                   Related: Trash-filled turtle highlights ocean crisis-Bangkok Post

Related:  Calls for review of Thailand’s importation of electronic trash– Thai PBS

                   Related:  Wake up to the problem of electronic waste, Myanmar urged–Myanmar Times

How to Promote Investments in Natural Capital in the Greater Mekong Subregion–Development Asia Natural capital has been a key contributor to the Greater Mekong Subregion’s rapid economic growth over the past 3 decades or so. However, the subregion’s key natural capital stocks are in a state of decline. This is evident by the degradation of arable land; considerable losses in forests, wetlands, and mangroves; and many species of fauna and flora becoming endangered or even extinct.

Forest database key for Vietnam–Vietnam News Vietnamese people can control their own forest resources, ensure food security and diversify their income by using Management Information System for Forest Sector  in Vietnam (FORMIS). Hà Công Tuấn, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development made the statement at the forum on information and forest resources database held in Hà Nội on Wednesday by Việt Nam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the support from the FORMIS phase two project.

CHINA

Why China’s New Cambodia Military Boost Matters– The Diplomat This week, Cambodia revealed that China had given it yet another round of military assistance as part of a visit by its defense minister to the Southeast Asian state. The move represents just the latest effort by both sides to boost their defense ties in 2018 as they commemorate 60 years of their bilateral relations and Cambodia moves toward elections next month, which represents a major test for the ruling party.

Alibaba opens its regional office in Malaysia–New Strait Times Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd (Alibaba) the world’s leading e-commerce company based in China, has opened its first Southeast Asia office here, part of the company’s strong commitment in increasing digital economy in Malaysia and the region.

   Related: Alibaba and Malaysia: A win-win relationship-The ASEAN Post

Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels–NYT On a smoggy afternoon, huge log carriers and oil tankers thundered down a highway and hurtled around a curve at the bottom of a hill. Only a single, unreinforced guardrail stood between the traffic and a ravine. The route could make for tough driving under any conditions. But experts are watching it for one feature in particular: The highway curve is paved with solar panels.

Laos ‘not concerned’ about debt from China’s Belt and Road–Nikkei Asian Review Laos is unconcerned about the potential debt burden from a Chinese-led high-speed rail project, its prime minister said on Tuesday, describing the terms of the construction agreement as “favorable” to one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries.

        Related: Thailand plans regional alternative to Belt and Road-Asian Correspondent

How China Lost Sight of Malaysia’s Changes – The Diplomat  Nonagenarian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad wasted no time in making a much anticipated move, dispatching Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to renegotiate some of the “unequal treaties” with China. His move has been compared to steps by the then-new Sirisena administration in Sri Lanka to scale back massive deals with China made under the previous government. // Chinese investments have been affected by political changes before, such as when Chinese investment in Sudan was lost when Sudan split into two countries.

One of China’s poorest provinces wants to be a tech hub–The Economist Such space-age fantasy appears incongruous in Guizhou. The mountainous region is one of China’s poorest provinces (see map). More than 4m of its 35m inhabitants live on less than $1.90 a day, according to the government. In 2016 less than 45% of them used the internet. Five years ago, however, Guizhou started selling itself as a good place for big companies to store vast reservoirs of data. Now it is experiencing a tech boom.

Thousands of Seized Logs Smuggled to China, Lawmaker Says–The Irrawaddy Up to 2,000 logs cut from champac and pine trees weighing over 1,300 tons seized by authorities in Kachin State’s Chipwi and Tsawlaw townships have been smuggled to China since late May, according to a Union lawmaker.

China’s clean skies battle expands, clouding economic outlook–Channel NewsAsia  The frontlines of China’s war on pollution are moving beyond smog-prone Beijing and surrounding cities, driven by an effort to improve air and water quality across the country.

China to launch broader environmental inspections this month–Reuters China will expand environmental inspections to more cities and regions in a new round of checks from this month to April next year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said in a statement on Friday, part of a three-year anti-pollution plan.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

What is the Cambodia-Lao PDR-Vietnam Development Triangle Area?–Back in March, the Prime Ministers of three neighbouring countries Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam (CLV) met and endorsed an action plan to connect CLV economies until 2030. The three leaders committed themselves to building “integrated, sustainable and prosperous CLV economies” which would be located in the larger regional plan of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

New law sets public debt at not more than 25 percent of revenue– Vientiane Times The government will be the only authority to determine the size of public debt, which must not be over 25 percent of annual state revenue. A debate by National Assembly (NA) members yesterday made this stipulation concerning the Law on Public Debt. // This is an important step for Laos, since its debt has been growing rapidly. This law can potentially bring Laos’ debt growth under control if implemented properly.

Prawit orders end to imports of hazardous waste– Bangkok Post  Deputy Prime Minister PrawitWongsuwon has ordered authorities to find ways to end the importation of hazardous and electronic waste. Lt Gen KhongcheepTantrawanit, the defence spokesman, said Gen Prawit issued the order at a meeting of the committee on the reform of national administration.

Deputy PMs to meet political parties next week– Bangkok Post Deputy Prime Minister PrawitWonsuwon said on Wednesday that he, Deputy Prime Minister WissanuKrea-ngam and the Election Commission planned to meet representatives of political parties next week to discusspolitical activities. He said the meeting would happen while Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was abroad. // Once the political activities ban is lifted, then Thailand can begin the election process. This will significantly improve Thailand’s relations with the EU and the United States.

Thailand plans regional alternative to Belt and Road– Asian Correspondant THAILAND plans to create a regional fund along with several of its neighbors in order to reduce reliance on Chinese investment in Southeast Asia.The Nikkei Asian Review reported earlier this month that Bangkok hopes to launch the fund “as soon as possible”, which would help fund infrastructure and development projects in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam. // If successful, this initiative will lend some foreign policy flexibility for the region.

Laos stresses the need to borrow as West raises debt alarm– Nikkei Asian Review As the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia and one of the least developed ones in the region, Laos seems to have different priorities on growth that are driving it pile on even more debt.Prime Minister ThonglounSisoulith believes adding debt beyond a warning level is necessary for the country to grow and compete internationally as an economy, despite growing wariness among Western donor nations and multinational financial institutions.  // Nearly half of Laos’ debt is owned by China. If the China’s economy slows down, it could potentially cripple the Lao economy.

Heat on Vietnam car barriers rises–Bangkok Post The commerce and industry ministries are escalating demands that the Vietnamese government eliminate non-tariff barriers on cars imported from Thailand, as Thai car shipments to Vietnam have stalled for over six months. // Thailand is Southeast Asia’s largest automotive producer. A lowering of trade barriers in Vietnam would lead to the growth of the automotive industry in Thailand. Lowering of similar trade barriers in Southeast Asia would be beneficial to economic growth in the region.

YUNNAN

Guizhou explosion closes key Yunnan petrochemical pipeline–GoKunming A natural gas pipeline exploded in the late hours of June 10 in Shazi (沙子), Guizhou province, Xinhua reports. Responding emergency crews completed search and rescue operations after the ensuing blaze was extinguished, but the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

TAIWAN

Going Global: Taiwan Start-ups Aim for Southeast Asia Growth–The News Lens EZTable is one of dozens of Taiwanese tech startups expanding globally after achieving success at home. Southeast Asia is their top destination, but some are expanding to Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong as well. They’re a new breed of Taiwanese tech firm: software-driven, youthful, and multilingual. // Compared to the past, Taiwanese tech start-ups expand their investment globally instead of focusing on domestic market. Southeast Asia is now a hotspot for Taiwanese tech start-ups.

This week’s news digest was curated by Kevin Rutigliano and Chen-Sheng Hong.

EXSE FOCUS

Power capacity reserve to be raised–Bangkok Post Thailand’s 15% electricity generation capacity reserve will be increased following a recent power outage in the Northeast, says Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan.//Mixed signals from Thailand’s Energy Ministry which is currently revising its power plan with an original goal of REDUCING Thailand’s power capacity reserve. This means more energy generation projects – but will they fall in Thailand or across borders in Laos and Myanmar….

Thai firm signs Laos power deal–The Nation Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited (Ratch) is ready for expansion into the 340 megawatt (MW) Xekong hydroelectric power project in Laos in a joint investment with the government in Vientiane.//These dams are on the mainstream of the Xekong river, the longest remaining free flowing river in the Mekong basin. Since there is zero transparency on Mekong tributary damming, no one saw this coming – even those who are fighting hard to keep the Sekong dam free.

Southeast Asia’s ongoing struggle against alarming levels of plastic pollution–Southeast Asia Globe Five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year and global plastic production is projected to nearly double in the next ten to 15 years, according to a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report. Meanwhile, a 2015 study by Ocean Conservancy found that 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the world’s oceans every day, with more than half coming from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, making these countries responsible for up to 60 % of the waste.

Related: Dead whale sparks marine fears in Thailand–South China Morning Post

Related: Drastic plastic: Vietnam beach awash with tide of blue waste–Reuters

Related: Cambodia’s plastic problem–The Phnom Penh Post

At Shangri-La summit, two views of a new Indo-Pacific order–Asia Times This year’s Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), an annual security summit staged in Singapore, marked the formal coming of age of the “Indo-Pacific theater” and accordingly India’s emergence as a new pillar of the region’s security architecture.

Related: Five things to watch for at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore–South China Morning Post

     Related: Japan and the Shangri-La Dialogue–The Diplomat 

Thailand to launch Mekong regional fund to reduce China dependence–Nikkei Asian Review Thailand is taking the lead in creating a regional fund with its neighbors, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to back infrastructure and other development projects and to lessen reliance on Chinese investment.

Malaysia Moves to Rebalance Relationship With China–VOA Malaysia and China are looking to re-balance ties as the new government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad seeks to renegotiate billions of dollars of Chinese backed infrastructure spending, with the goal of reducing the country’s national debt.

Related: New Malaysian government steps back from spending Chinese projects –The Washington Post

REGIONAL RELATIONS

With ports, ships and promises, India asserts role in Southeast Asia–Reuters Almost lost in the din of the upcoming U.S-North Korea summit and fresh tension between Washington and Beijing last week, India cemented its diplomatic and security ties across Southeast Asia in a clear challenge to China.

Indonesia, Mozambique start PTA negotiations: Official–Xinhua Indonesia and Mozambique have started negotiations on the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), an official leading the Indonesian delegation said on Tuesday. Bilateral Negotiation Director at the Trade Ministry Ni Made Ayu Marhini said the two sides have approved most of the articles to establish the PTA during the initial round of the negotiation held in the Mozambique capital of Maputo from May 31 to June 1.

Why UK-ASEAN Trade Ties Are Thriving–The Diplomat Southeast Asia is a vital cog in the movement of goods and is essential for international trade to flourish. As such, ASEAN matters to Britain and is a key component in the UK’s drive to increase trade with countries around the world.

Vietnam seeks Italy’s experiences in environmental protection–Nhan Dan The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam (MONRE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea of Italy (MEPLS) on June 5 in Hanoi to agree cooperation between the two ministries.

India to set up   medical college, hospital in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam region, says Suresh Prabhu–Financial Express India has decided to set up a medical college and hospital in Cambodia as part of its plan to strengthen economic ties with CLMV region, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said. To promote investments, the government has created a project development fund to facilitate Indian investment in the four countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV).

Japanese investment in Myanmar soars to all-time high–Japan Times Japanese investment in Myanmar reached an all-time high of about $1.48 billion in fiscal 2017 following the nation’s transition from military to civilian rule in 2011, boosted by large-scale commercial complex and steel manufacturing projects.

Vietnam is following China in its economic development–VOA Vietnam is imitating China in its efforts to grow economically and lags its larger neighbor only by about a decade, experts say. The two communist countries, though political rivals, have built up their state-controlled economies on job creation through factory work for export.

Australia and Vietnam open ‘friendship bridge’ in the Mekong Delta–Vietnam Net The Cao Lanh Bridge and its inter-connecting roads which were built by a joint funding partnership between the Vietnamese Government, the Australian Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as part of the Central Mekong Delta Region Connectivity Project, is expected to benefit more than five million people in the Mekong Delta region through improved access to markets and services. An estimated 170,000 people will cross the bridge each day.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Japan plans biomass energy project for Cambodia–Khmer Times A Japan-led project for the local agriculture sector now under discussion aims to recycle rice husks to generate power in a bid to reduce the environmental footprint of the industry and provide additional revenue streams for agricultural communities.

Illegal timber still flowing: EIA–Khmer Times More than one million cubic metres of illegal timber has flowed unhindered from protected areas in Cambodia’s northeast provinces to Vietnam as the latter continues its role as a serial illegal timber trade offender, according to a report issued by the Environmental Investigation Agency.

The real cost of Myanmar’s electricity–Myanmar Times Myanmar has some of the lowest electricity rates in the world. However, connecting and supplying power to the millions of people who will drive Myanmar’s development is a huge endeavour, one that requires the commitment of tremendous financial resources from the state, companies and international donors. But as important is the public’s awareness of what it costs to build and supply the electric backbone of the country.

Vietnam sets out green ambitions with bold targets for solar, rare earth–Reuters Vietnam plans to more than triple the amount of electricity it produces from renewable sources and push for a 26 percent increase in household solar energy usage by 2030, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Reuters in an interview.

B Grimm puts cash behind biggest solar plant in region–The Nation B Grimm Power president Preeyanart Soontornwata said the total investment for the plant – with a planned generating capacity of 420 megawatts – will be around US$430 million. The company would hold no more than 55 per cent of the joint venture, Preeyanart said.

Thailand new dumping ground for world’s high-tech trash, police say–Channel NewsAsia Thailand is a new dumping ground for scrap electronics from around the world, said police and environmentalists, the latest country to feel the impact of China’s crackdown on imports of high-tech trash.
     Related: Smuggling of hazardous waste comes to light–The Nation 

                  Related: Investment rush is harming environment–Bangkok Post 

Rural Poor Squeezed by Land Concessions in Mekong Region: Report–The Irrawaddy Magazine Companies acquired concessions amounting to the size of a small European country, while rural residents of Southeast Asia’s Mekong region saw their landholdings shrink or disappear over the past two decades, according to researchers.

Why hospitals in Asia need to be ‘climate-smart’–Eco-Business Hospitals in Asia must become climate-smart in an era of extreme weather patterns, or risk being unable to fulfill their missions of providing healthcare when they are most needed, say experts.//As Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand are the four out of the ten countries that most affected by climate change risk, the governments of these nations need to consider how to integrate the concept of ‘climate-smart’ to its hospital system.

Solar-powered irrigation pumps could help Philippines’ attain rice self-sufficiency–Gulf News Philippines Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol said solar-powered irrigation pumps could hold the key to making the Philippines self-sufficient in rice production. The Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS), which has been adopted by the Department of Agriculture as one of its Flagship Projects, could ensure the country get a sufficient rice supply for the next 20 years.// The idea of solar-power irrigation pumps may also help other Southeast Asia countries to ensure their food security and promote renewable energy development.

Six Mekong nations call for accelerated action to eliminate malaria before 2030– Asia Pacific Leaders Mekong Alliance  The governments of Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam have together called for accelerated action to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) by 2030.// Malaria is a serious problem in Southeast Asia and poses threats to people’s lives. It is critical for the governments of Southeast Asia countries to work with international organizations to get sufficient support to eliminate malaria.

Vietnam building roadmap on greenhouse gas emissions mitigation–VietnamNet Nguyen Duc Ngu from the Center for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment emphasized that the draft decree clearly says it is not based on the Environment Protection Law or the national strategy on natural resource and environmental protection, but on Vietnam’s commitments within the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

CHINA

China eyes its next prize–The interpreter There is another prize in Beijing’s sights, an artery that runs straight through mainland Southeast Asia. The mighty Mekong River, which starts in China (known there as Lancang), and connects Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, is a crucial lifeline that nourishes some 60 million people along its banks.

China’s green Belt and Road tested at the Russian border–ChinaDialogue Facing growing demand for wood and shortages in domestic supply, Chinese authorities are pushing for greater imports from Russia, ignoring the fact that its neighbour will cease to be a reliable supplier within a decade.

Facebook Gave Data Access to Chinese Firm Flagged by U.S. Intelligence–NYT Facebook has data-sharing partnerships with at least four Chinese electronics companies, including a manufacturing giant that has a close relationship with China’s government, the social media company said on Tuesday.

Related: Facebook confirms data-sharing agreement with Chinese firms-BBC

Pollutionwatch: Air contamination drops by 30% in China–The guardian Beijing is slowly shedding its image as the world’s most polluted city. In 2013, it ranked as the 40th worst city for the particulate PM2.5 in the World Health Organisation global database. Four years on, thanks in part to a crackdown on polluters, it stands in 187th place.

Beyond Tech Transfer: The Challenge of Chinese Tech Expanding Abroad–The Diplomat Over the last two years, Chinese outward investment has been become the subject of much controversy abroad, especially following the country’s buying spree in 2016. This shift has been particularly visible in the tech sector, where developed countries are becoming increasingly concerned by Chinese attitudes toward intellectual property (IP) and the prospect that China may very soon match their technological capabilities. 

China’s environmental cleanup hits once-thriving scrap trade–Nikkei Asian Review Old cardboard paper and other scrap material is piling up in Japan, with nowhere to go as China has toughened restrictions on polluting processors.

China says to end ‘one size fits all’ environmental policies–Channel NewsAsia  China plans to end its “one size fits all” approach to fighting pollution, the environment ministry said on Monday (May 28), as it tries to devise more nuanced policies that match local conditions and minimise economic disruption.

China regions vow to step up pollution crackdown after central government probes–Reuters Eight Chinese regions have promised to beef up anti-pollution curbs, vowing fresh cuts in smog, cleaner water and soil and tighter scrutiny over government officials after Beijing-led probes uncovered thousands of violations.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Indonesia’s Looming Energy Challenges–The Diplomat In less than a year, Indonesians will head to the polls for presidential and legislative elections. In public discussions, the energy sector is seen as one of the most influential sectors in determining the present government’s performance, due to the country’s tremendous potentials in fossil fuels and renewable resources. However, with the possible changes brought by the upcoming political year, a change of priorities may affect Indonesia’s energy development.

Thailand’s last untouched Mekong tributary–The Nation THE LOWER Songkram River basin is the latest site in Thailand under the global spotlight as a crucial ecological resource, the WWF-Thailand said ahead of World Environment Day today.

Singpore Prepares for the AI Revolution–The Diplomat As global interest in artificial intelligence (AI) grows, Singapore wants to establish itself as a global hotspot for AI research and entrepreneurship. The city-state’s leaders see a big opportunity to leverage AI to grow their economy and improve the lives of their citizens.

Waste treatment delayed in Vietnam–Vietnam News Poor infrastructure investment in waste treatment has kept Viet Nam in the list of five countries who together discharge more solid waste, particularly plastic, into the ocean than the rest of the world combined. The other four countries are China, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Why Southeast Asia is perfectly placed to embrace large-scale fish farming–Southeast Asia Globe The market is there, the physical conditions are near perfect and there is a great potential for growth. So why does Southeast Asian marine aquaculture still consist mainly of small family fish farms and not large-scale projects targeting local as well as export markets?

Poverty in Indonesia becomes urban problem–Investvine Indonesia’s national development planning ministry is targeting a national poverty rate next year of 8.5 per cent to 9.5 per cent, down from the poverty level at the end of 2017 of 10.12 per cent of the population. // Indonesia needs to consider developing separate policies to deal with poverty problem in different areas or islands. 

YUNNAN

Alumina giant Chalco inks massive metals deal as China pushes ahead with supply-side reforms–South China Sea Post The Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco), the world’s second-largest alumina producer, plans to merge its copper mining unit with Yunnan Metallurgical Group, which has total assets of nearly 90 billion yuan (US$14.17 billion), in what would be the country’s biggest industry consolidation deal in the non-ferrous metals sector.

TAIWAN  

Taiwan: Tsai Ing-wen at the halfway mark–The interpreter The fruits of Tsai’s NSP have been confined predominantly to the realm of people-to-people exchanges. There is a robust budget to support the NSP – NT$7.26 billion (US$241 million) in 2018 – but how this money pays for flagship innovation, agriculture, and medical cooperation projects, or whether such investment will buoy Taiwan’s economic growth of 2.89%, remains to be seen. Taiwan’s socioeconomic engagement with Southeast Asia is further complicated by the reality that many prospective partners are existing recipients of Chinese economic or development aid. // It is difficult for Taiwan to compete with China on economic or development aid. Taiwanese government needs to strengthen Taiwan’s advantages, especially innovation and talented industries to attract the other countries which are targeted by the ‘New Southbound policy.’

EXSE FOCUS

Roping in China to deal with challenges of the Mekong–The Third Pole In a candid interview, the head of Mekong River Commission, Pham Tuan Phan, talks about how important it is to involve China to sustainably develop the river basin.

Malaysia election: Opposition scores historic victory–BBC Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has scored a historic victory in the general election. The election commission said Mr Mahathir’s opposition alliance had won 115 seats, over the threshold of 112 seats needed to form a government. The BN and its major party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), have dominated Malaysian politics since the country won independence from Britain in 1957, but the once-powerful coalition has seen its popularity decline in recent years.// Malaysia’s first democratic transition is a shock to the world. It is also could serve as a blow to the soft dictatorships holding onto power in the region. This critical change may influence Malaysia’s neighbors with elections in the near term.

                    Related: Malaysia election 2018: everything you need to know–The guardian 

Leaders of China, Japan and South Korea Will Work Together on Denuclearizing North Korea–TIME China, Japan and South Korea agreed Wednesday to cooperate on ending North Korea’s nuclear program and promoting free trade, two hot-button issues challenging their region.

Related: Japan, China, South Korea put on united front on North Korea and free trade at trilateral summit–The Straits Times

Is EU’ Carding Forcing Vietnam to Address Illegal Fishing?–Global Policy The threat of a bad report card from the European Union has alarmed the more than 30,000 Vietnamese commercial traditional trawlers considered at risk of being deemed uncooperative in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With EU officials expected to return to Vietnam next week for a reassessment of Vietnam’s violations, the fishing industry has been fast-tracking measures to correct its marine practices.

Mekong River nations face the hidden costs of China’s dams–Nikkei Asian Review China’s controversial dam building — both on its section of the river upstream and, increasingly, in Southeast Asia — is dramatically changing the livelihoods of many of the 60 million people living in the region who depend on the Mekong for water, fish, transportation and irrigation.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Singapore and Brazil sign pact to avoid double taxation–Channel NewsAsia  Singapore and Brazil have signed an accord to avoid double taxation, the two countries said in a joint statement on Tuesday (May 8). The two nations have also initiated discussions on a free trade agreement between Singapore and MERCOSUR, which comprises member states Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Is the South China Sea Dispute a Foregone Conclusion?–The Diplomat The security temperature in the South China Sea (SCS) has ratcheted precipitously in recent weeks. On May 2, news outlet CNBC reported U.S. intelligence that China has installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles on three fortified outposts in the Spratly Islands.

Reflecting on the ASEAN-Australia relationship–The Independent The ASEAN–Australia Dialogue and the ASEAN–Australia Special Summit reflect a recent trend: the growing recognition that Australia has to find a way to get along better with its neighbours for a variety of reasons. Australia’s prosperity is intimately tied to the security, stability and prosperity of its neighbourhood. Non-traditional security threats to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are increasingly understood as being linked to the security and prosperity of Australia itself.

Vietnam-Korea FTA gives boost to two-way trade–Viet Nam News The Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), which took effect on December 20, 2015, has played an important role in attracting investments from the South Korea to Việt Nam and helping the Southeast Asian nation integrate deeper into the regional economy.

China agrees to increase palm oil imports from Indonesia–The Jakarta Post President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang agreed on Monday to bolster trade between their two countries, including to increase Indonesia’s crude palm oil (CPO) exports to China. “Premier Li Keqiang has especially agreed to increase [Indonesia’s] palm oil exports to China by up to 500,000 tons [per year],” Jokowi said in a joint statement after the meeting on Monday.

Related: Indonesia needs China more than China needs Indonesia: Jakarta Post columnist–The Strait Times

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Is certification enough to protect Southeast Asia’s forests?–Eco-Business Agroforestry experts say certification schemes are ”far from perfect” in ensuring sustainable practices. Their value, and how they can be improved, will be debated at the 5th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources this month.

Investment floods into Mekong Delta–Nikkei Asian Review The Mekong Delta once sheltered Viet Cong guerrillas as they battled U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. Today the area is the country’s “rice bowl,” providing half of the national rice supply. It is also becoming an increasingly attractive investment destination for domestic and foreign companies.// Facilitating renewable energy development in the Mekong Delta is a feasible solutions to tackling the threats of hydropower dams to Delta productivity.

ASEAN’s active role in the greening of growth–The Business Times Sustainability issues are still often seen as long-term concerns, rather than requiring urgent attention, despite the Paris agreement to take action to address climate change. Within the ASEAN, there have also been transboundary challenges – such as the fires and haze of past years – that question countries’ real commitment to implementing sustainability pledges.

Getting ready for the ASEAN smart cities network–Khmer Times At the 32nd Asean Summit last month, Singapore introduced the Asean Smart Cities Network (ASCN) as one of the key deliverables. The ASCN is aimed at being prepared for the security and socio-economic implications arising from changing centres of urban populations. // If the smart cities network which comprises 26 cities in the region succeeds, ASEAN can enhance its integration and regional development.

Coral Triangle at risk–The ASEAN Post The Coral Triangle, a marine region stretching across Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste, is endangered by extensive human activities. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), this marine region encompasses portions of two biogeographic regions: the Indonesian-Philippines Region, and the Far Southwestern Pacific Region, endowing it with the world’s richest marine biodiversity.

Indonesia moves towards smart building–The ASEAN Post Indonesia is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of both land area and population. Over the past five years, Indonesia’s urban population has increased by 53.5 percent, more than half of its total, according to Statistics Indonesia. As such, the Republic is now looking at the construction of buildings that are energy-efficient so as to minimise negative environmental impacts and to be more cost-effective in both the short and long run.

Field notes from ”Cambodia’s beating heart”–Conservation International Nicknamed Cambodia’s “beating heart,” the vast Tonle Sap Lake is Southeast Asia’s largest. Now, the country is trying to stop the loss of its lifeblood: the fish that thrive in these waters.

Listening to women’s voices in Vietnam’s energy debate–Eco-Business Vietnamese activist Khanh Nguy Thi knew early on that depending on coal to meet the country’s growing demand for energy would be a disaster for its people and the environment. She also knew that listening to women in the villages, and involving government officials in the conversation, were key to a greener future for the Southeast Asian country.

CHINA

US-China talks end in increased tension and demand for $200bn trade deficit cut–The guardian Talks in Beijing between Steven Mnuchin and Liu He end in ‘significant disagreements over certain issues’ Tensions between the US and China increased on Friday as it emerged US officials had handed Beijing a list of demands including a $200bn cut in its trade deficit and an end to state subsidies on strategic industries.

      Related: The Greater Danger of US-China Trade Tensions–The Diplomat 

                  Related: US and China’s trade clash to take centre stage at WTO–South China Morning Post 

Kim-Xi summit sends signal to Trump about China’s key role–The Washington Post  The surprise China-North Korea summit this week is intended to ensure that Beijing’s voice is heard when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un holds a historic meeting with President Donald Trump. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to protect his country’s strategic interests on the Korean Peninsula, particularly when it comes to maintaining a friendly regime in Pyongyang as a buffer from the U.S. and South Korean forces stationed across the 38th parallel.

Who Can Go The Distance In Alibaba And Tencent’s Battle For Southeast Asia And India?–Forbes Two of China’s internet giants, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, having consolidated their positions at home, are now competing intensely for users and market share outside China – the key battlegrounds are Southeast Asia and India, but which company will come out on top?

China launches new Earth observation satellite for environmental monitoring–Xinhua China on Wednesday launched Gaofen-5, a hyperspectral imaging satellite, as part of the country’s high-resolution Earth observation project. According to Tong Xudong, chief designer of the Gaofen series, Gaofen-5 is the first China-developed satellite that can monitor air pollution. It can dynamically reflect the state of air pollution in China through the monitoring of air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols.

Singapore, China to work together on environment–The Straits Times Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli has met his Chinese counterparts to discuss ways the two countries can work together to strengthen cooperation on environmental protection and collaborate through bilateral platforms.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Myanmar’s ambitious new president pushing for changes to military-drafted constitution–Southeast Asia Globe Magazine Newly appointed President Win Myint’s strident talk of amending Myanmar’s military-drafted constitution has set the former speaker on a collision course with the nation’s most heavily entrenched interests

ASEAN Meets, But Remains Mostly Silent on Major Regional Issues–CFR Last weekend, leaders of the ten Southeast Asian members of ASEAN, the major regional organization, held their summit in Singapore. So far, however, the most pressing regional issues continue to divide ASEAN, and the organization has not been able to bridge its internal gaps, and to get beyond its traditional consensus style, which almost always hampers it in addressing complex security or rights issues in one member-state.

Lawmakers Urge Yangon Govt for Transparency in Development Projects–The Irrawaddy Lawmakers from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party urged the Yangon regional government to stick to rules and regulations when carrying out development projects. Six lawmakers discussed on Monday the government’s proposal on urban development projects funded by local and international investment in Yangon from 2018-21, including transportation infrastructure, housing and economic development projects totaling more than 1.3 trillion kyats.

Climate change and education agreements inked during Laos President’s state visit–The Straits Times Singapore and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic inked an agreement on Wednesday evening (May 9) to fight climate change and enhance sustainable development. These will be achieved through policy exchanges, workshops, seminars and private sector projects.

Vietnam asks China to withdraw missiles from South China Sea–The Washington Post Vietnam has requested that China withdraw its military equipment from South China Sea outposts, saying its deployment seriously violates Hanoi’s sovereignty, increases tension and destabilizes the region.

Southeast Asia’s burgeoning infrastructure market defies borders–Nikkei Asian Review Southeast Asian engineering groups are looking beyond national borders for opportunities in a region forecast to need about $180 billion a year in infrastructure investment through 2030.

YUNNAN

Sichuan, Yunnan sites of experimental earthquake prediction network–GoKunming China began an ambitious seismic prediction pilot program this week in hopes of creating a national earthquake warning network. Experimental work on the system will be conducted in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and include installing a huge web of interconnected sensors designed to measure “stress and energy dynamics” deep below the surface of the earth.

TAIWAN

Taiwan welcomes Japan as investment partner in Southeast Asia: VP–Focus Taiwan Taiwan looks forward to advancing cooperation with Japan and welcomes the country as an investment partner in Southeast Asia, Vice President Chen Chien-jen said Tuesday. Chen said Taiwan and Japan should work together to broaden exchanges with those countries. Taiwan’s technology supply chain, combined with Japan’s expertise in research and development, could help to create win-win scenarios for all parties, he added. // Taiwan and Japan’s soft power can help Southeast Asia in industry innovation.

EXSE FOCUS

32nd ASEAN Summit: Analysis and key takeaways–The ASEAN Post Leaders adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision for a Resilient and Innovative ASEAN which sets forth the association’s goals for the year while also taking into account shifting geopolitical and economic realities. The issues discussed at ASEAN Summits can be categorized under three broad themes – current issues, ASEAN Community agendas and the chairman’s ambitions.// Although hot button issues like South China Sea tensions, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, and recent developments on the Korean peninsula were key focal areas of  discussion, Singapore used its prerogative as this year’s chair to prioritize discussion of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). ASCN is a top item on Singapore’s agenda and is defined by a focus on sharing lessons learned and synergizing ASEAN’s urban development efforts around innovation, growth, and sustainable development.

                 Related: 26 cities to pilot ASEAN Smart Cities Network–Channel NewsAsia

                 Related: ASEAN Cybersecurity in the Spotlight Under Singapore’s Chairmanship–The Diplomat

North and South Korea Set Bold Goals: A Final Peace and No Nuclear Arms–NYT  The leaders of North and South Korea agreed on Friday to work to remove all nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and, within the year, pursue talks with the United States to declare an official end to the Korean War, which ravaged the peninsula from 1950 to 1953.// Based on the surprisingly positive inter-Korea summit and recent thawing of tensions, people are eagerly awaiting the upcoming US-North Korea summit to see whether the summit can make historic progress on Korea issues that have long been viewed as intractable.

                 Related: Everything you need to know about the inter-Korean summit–The Guardian

                 Related: Commentary: Hasten thaw on the Korea Peninsula? Singapore and Southeast Asia have roles to play–Channel NewsAsia

Egat aims for revamp to tackle disruption–Bangkok Post The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) plans to revamp its organisational structure and administration to prepare for disruptive technology in the country’s energy sector. // EGAT’s governor provided three important takeaways in this interview: the first is yet another high-level confirmation that the utilities is making significant changes to the way it operates and invests in response to disruptions from distributed generation and the rapid price drop in solar and wind technologies. The second is that as a result of changes, EGAT is unlikely to invest in large-scale plants for the next 6-8 years. The third is that the Thailand’s updated master energy plan will be released in August of this year. Given the dual role that Thailand plays as both a financier of projects in Laos and also as a purchaser of the electricity produced from those projects, EGAT’s policy changes will potentially have significant ramifications for the future of hydropower development in the Mekong.

                 Related: BCBG driving an energy revolution in Thailand – World Finance //Includes an interesting exploration of blockchain technology as a potential game-changer for managing distributed electricity generation.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

U.K. Eyes Southeast Asia for Post-Brexit Trade Bursts–Bloomberg The lone non-Asian trade minister at last week’s Southeast Asian leaders’ summit in Singapore, U.K. Trade Minister Greg Hands had plenty of room to make the case that Brexit won’t interfere with his country’s ambitious plans in the region.

Japan partners with ASEAN countries on disaster insurance–Nikkei Asian Review Japan will work with Southeast Asian nations like Laos and Myanmar to provide immediate financing after natural disasters so that recovery funds can be quickly distributed.// This is another instance of Japan stepping up its engagement in Southeast Asia and the Mekong region, partially in response to China’s BRI.

Germany grants Bt690m, will work with Thailand on climate change projects–The Nation Germany has granted Bt690 million for a four-year climate change programme intended to help Thailand achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.

Japanese backing pledged for EEC–The Nation The Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) has promised to provide soft loans to investors setting up business in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and is ready to back investment in a high-speed link between three airports that underpins the flagship economic zone.

Korea, Thailand agree to step up cooperation on defense industry, culture–Yonhap News South Korea and Thailand agreed Thursday to enhance cooperation in the defense industry, culture and other sectors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The senior diplomats agreed to keep up their countries’ close collaboration in the defense and defense manufacturing sectors. They also pledged to expand cooperation in culture, tourism and language education. Tourist visits between the countries reached 2.2 million last year, they noted.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Beating Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion–Chiang Rai Times In Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the battle against malaria is advancing at a rapid pace. Between 2012 and 2017, reported malaria cases fell by a staggering 84%, with deaths from the disease down by 93%.

Fighting climate change with smart finance: Pakistan and Cambodia show the way in Asia–South China Morning Post In Cambodia, a similar “climate change financing framework” is allowing the government to estimate the economic impact of climate change and clearly map the cost of their response. Budget data is enabling the government to make a stronger case for international assistance to meet their climate goals.

World Bank backs Lao agriculture project–The Nation The World Bank has approved an assistance project to help Laos upgrade its agriculture productivity and produce crops for commercial purposes. The bank’s board of executive directors approved the Lao Agriculture Competitive Project last week as part of efforts to help the country increase agricultural productivity.

3 Vietnamese cities to be in Asean smart cities network–The Strait Times Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang in Vietnam will be part of the Asean network of smart cities being proposed by Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

Vietnam incurs losses from pollution from agricultural production–Vietnam net Agricultural production is both the culprit and victim of pollution. It is the major cause behind soil, water and air pollution in intensive farming areas, while the use of polluted water for irrigation leads to a low yield of crops. Plant protection chemicals and fertilizer abuse has been poisoning the soil because it degrades the soil physically, chemically and biologically.

Human disturbances threaten conservation of cave bats in Cambodia, study says–The Phnom Penh Post Researchers in a new study say visitor activities in caves in Cambodia pose challenges for bat conservation, noting that human disturbance is often detrimental to populations, which in turn take substantial time to recover from declines.

CHINA

China, India and water across the border–The Third Pole When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping held an informal summit on April 27-28, involving a cruise on Wuhan lake in Hubei province, did they talk about water?

                 Related: What the Modi-Xi Meeting Tells Us About China and India–TIME

                 Related: China’s Xi, India’s Modi seek new relationship after summit–Reuters

Yangon works with China to lay down development plan for new city project–Myanmar Times  New Yangon Development Company (NYDC) on Monday signed a framework agreement with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) under which the two parties will carry out the necessary surveys and studies needed to develop and implement a new city in Yangon.

Xiaomi to sell smartphones in UK through Three–The Guardian ‘China’s Apple’ turns focus to west and is set to raise $10bn on Hong Kong stock exchange. The Smartphone maker Xiaomi will begin selling its smartphones in the UK under a partnership with Hutchinson’s Three as “China’s Apple” turns its attention to the west.

Indonesia seeks ways to speed up China high-speed rail project–The Strait Times Indonesia said on Wednesday (May 2) it is seeking ways to accelerate a US$5 billion (S$6.68 billion) high-speed rail project – being built by a consortium of local and Chinese state firms – which is facing obstacles from land ownership issues.

U.S. and China Dive In for Prolonged Trade Talks–WSJ Trade negotiators from the U.S. and China are digging in for the first round of what they expect to be recurring, difficult talks that don’t produce an immediate settlement.

China Agrees To Accept Filipino Workers, But Will They Go?–Forbes China has offered billions in investment aid to its developing neighbor the Philippines over the past 18 months. It’s paying for railways and weapons to resist rebels, among other things. The two sides are talking about joint undersea oil exploration, too.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Will the junta’s Eastern Economic Corridor project help Thailand escape from the middle-income trap?–Southeast Asia Globe While the junta has high hopes for the Eastern Economic Corridor, some consider the project little more than a stop gap measure that will ultimately fail to address the underlying symptoms of the country’s poor economic performance

What’s Next for Vietnam-Cambodia Border Cooperation?–The Diplomat Last week, Vietnamese and Cambodian military officials held another interaction focused around border issues. Though the engagement was just the latest in a series that continue to occur into 2018, it nonetheless reinforced the significance of border collaboration between the two neighboring Southeast Asian states within the context of their respective domestic and foreign policies.

Can a billionaire idealist and his new party challenge Thailand’s military rule?–Southeast Asia Globe Magazine Four years since the Thai armed forces seized power, the ruling junta has cemented its role in the nation’s polarised political scene through a handcrafted constitution . A new progressive party has promised to break the military’s grip on power, but can the young billionaire at its helm win the hearts and minds of Thailand’s rural majority?

Contenders Shaping Up for 2019 Indonesian Presidential Election–CFR Earlier this month, former Lieutenant General Prabowo Subianto, who ran for president against Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, in 2014, announced that he will be a candidate again in 2019, setting up a possible presidential rematch.

Thailand openly airs hope to join TPP–Bangkok Post Thailand has expressed its hope of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Japan’s minister in charge of the free trade deal said Tuesday. Japan has been hoping to increase the number of members while encouraging the United States to return to the free trade accord.

                 Related: Thailand wants to join TPP ‘as soon as possible’, says deputy PM–Nikkei Asian Review

Workers in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia Call For Better Pay, Benefits–Radio Free Asia Hundreds of workers took to the streets in Myanmar on Tuesday to call for a living wage, while in Laos marchers asked for social welfare benefits and better protection for citizens working abroad, sources said. Meanwhile, in Cambodia, workers gathered but were forbidden to march, sources in the country said.

Cambodia Peacekeepers Prepare for New Deployment After Africa Attacks–VOA Khmer In the pouring rain on Thursday, hundreds of Cambodian troops and military engineers bid farewell to Cambodia at a ceremony as they departed for yet another United Nations peacekeeping mission in war-torn Mali and South Sudan.

Indonesia Digs In to Grab a Bigger Share of Its Resource Wealth–WSJ Indonesia is trying to capture a bigger share of the vast wealth from its natural resources by seeking more favorable deals and building state-owned firms into industrial behemoths, a strategy that risks alienating foreign investors and has already spooked Freeport-McMoRan Inc. shareholders.

TAIWAN

Foreign Laborers and Taiwan’s Evolving Democracy–The Diplomat Taiwan’s international space in multilateral forums remains stunted. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has sought to address this problem in part by advancing the “New Southbound Policy”(NSP) to expand economic and cultural linkages in Southeast Asia. While this external effort is well-considered, Taiwan’s future lies not just in how it relates to the outside world. Instead, the strength of Taiwan’s democracy at home is arguably its greatest asset.

This week’s news digest was curated by Chen-Sheng Hong.

EXSE FOCUS

Solar Projects Increase in the Mekong River Area–VOA Solar and wind power projects are increasing in the area around the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. Brian Eyler is Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program. He spoke about the increase in solar power development at the third Mekong River Commission Summit in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province. In January 2017, my team visited with Cambodia’s energy planners making the suggestion of incorporating more solar and wind into the power development plan. That was basically off the table in January 2017.” Eyler said.

Southeast Asia Looks Beyond China to Fund Massive Project Needs–Bloomberg Southeast Asia’s economies will need to spend about $2.8 trillion on projects like roads, bridges, ports and railways from 2016 to 2030 in order to maintain economic growth and reduce poverty, the Asian Development Bank reckons. While Southeast Asian governments are finding home-grown solutions to attract investors as they assess the risks of relying too heavily on the world’s No. 2 economic power.

What the US-China Struggle for Regional Dominance Means for Southeast Asia–The Diplomat Competition between the United States and China for dominance in the region is indeed intensifying.  Faced with this burgeoning soft and thinly veiled hard power struggle for their political hearts and minds, Southeast Asian countries are doing what they can and must to maintain their relative independence and security in this roiling political cauldron.

Another China-Japan battle expected over ‘world’s dirtiest’ river in Indonesia–The Jakarta Post The multiyear rehabilitation project of the Citarum River in West Java is set to become another arena for Japan and China to flex their financial muscle, as the two global powerhouses eye a stake in what has been labelled as Indonesia’s most ambitious environmental project to date.// Google the pictures of Citarum river to find how dirty the river is.

Environmental Damage, Corruption as Poorer Southeast Asian States Ship Sand to Singapore–Radio Free Asia Sand has become a hot commodity needed to support construction work in Southeast Asia. The demand for sand has sharply driven up prices for sand in recent years, drawing the attention of unscrupulous local officials, businessmen, and sand-dredging companies. Unfortunately, the sand dredging has damaged the environment in several countries by disrupting sediment flows and fishing grounds.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

 How Can Japan-UK Cybersecurity Cooperation Help ASEAN Build Cybersecurity–CFR Japan and the UK have been strengthening their cybersecurity collaboration over the last six years. Last month, they held their fourth bilateral dialogue on cyberspace in London to discuss their cooperation on the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the development of international cyber norms, the security of internet of things devices, and capacity building. Southeast Asia is a lucrative market for tech investment, and the United Kingdom wants access to it. Japan can help. //With growing numbers of mobile and internet users in the region, Southeast Asia should not overlook this threat.

Trump’s trade war pushes Singapore to China–Asia Times Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent five-day trip to China signaled strongly rebounding ties with Beijing and the trade-reliant city-state’s unease with America’s moves to instigate a potentially destabilizing trade war.

Related: Singapore PM says China, U.S. should not increase trade tensions-Reuters 

ASEAN-Italy partnership continues to grow–The ASEAN Post From ubiquitous palm oil and rubber estates in Malaysia to long beaches and pristine waters in Indonesia, Southeast Asia is home to a wide array of resources and locations of interest. Italy, a European giant in its own right, is observant of this matter and has realised the tremendous financial potential that the region has to offer.// Apart from Asian countries and the US, we cannot overlook the influence of European countries in the region.

ASEAN-India ties to strengthen with development of technology data bank–The ASEAN Post Earlier this month, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) in India was tasked by the Indian government to build a technology data bank. This project will be overlooked by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and will be a part of the ASEAN-India Innovation Platform. The proposed data bank will link existing data banks of available technologies in the ASEAN region.

Philippines verifying photos of China military aircraft on reef–Channel NewsAsia The Philippines may lodge a protest with China against the reported presence of two military aircraft on a Chinese-built island in the South China Sea, the top Philippine diplomat said, amid concern that China is militarising the waterway.

Japan’s Multi-Layered, Multilateral Strategy–The Diplomat Japan finds itself in an extremely difficult position as it strives to maintain a regional order that is favorable to its own interests. In specific policy terms, the most obvious measure is promoting integration of the Asia-Pacific region based on TPP-11. On top of that, the ASEAN economic community has already been established, and only four of the ASEAN nations working towards regional integration are TPP members.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Kenya Could Show Thailand How To Tackle Its Plastic Trash Problem–Investvine The East African nation of Kenya has the potential to become a role model for Thailand when it comes to curb the exorbitant use of plastic bag across the country and the unavoidable serious pollution and other trouble it creates.

Young fishing families on Cambodia’s Mekong struggle to survive–Mekong Eye Sami (16) and Luc (25) have both grown up both on the water. Their families can trace an oral history of fishing and seafaring that dates back 4000 years – migrating across South East Asia and even surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide of 1975-1979 to make it to the modern day. But Sami and Luc are also part of a new generation of teenage parents experiencing more difficulties than ever to survive on the river.

Government urged to curb illegal logging –Khmer Times Eight environmental organisations yesterday asked the government to take immediate action against loggers and land speculators in a wildlife sanctuary in Preah Vihear province, worrying that more land will be encroached upon. The statement said the Phnom Tnout Wildlife Sanctuary was experiencing encroachment through land speculation, illegal logging and poaching by some perpetrators and that authorities had to enforce the law to curb it or risk the loss of natural resources.// Since 2005, Cambodia has had one of the highest deforestation rates globally.

CHINA 

A Stronger Xi Jinping Uses The Boao Forum For Asia To Relaunch His Economic Agenda For China–Forbes The 17th annual Boao Forum for Asia just concluded on China’s southeastern resort island of Hainan, and opened a window onto Xi Jinping’s economic plans for the next five years.

Related: Boao and Beyond: Pay Attention to Singapore, Too-The Diplomat 

China provides 1.7 mln USD fund to Thailand to boost cross-border trade, e-commerce– Xinhua China offered 1.7 million U.S. dollars from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund to Thailand on Wednesday to boost cross-border economy and trade, business exchange and e-commerce. China initiated the LMC Special Fund during the first LMC Leaders’ meeting in Sanya of China’s southern Hainan province in March 2016 with the aim of supporting the small and medium-sized cooperation projects put forward by the six Lancang-Mekong countries.

Shake-up for China’s ocean management–China Dialogue China is changing the structure of its ministries, with huge implications for its management of marine environments. The roles of the former State Oceanic Administration (SOA) have been divvied up across different bodies.The bulk of its work goes to the newly-formed Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Environmental protection responsibilities are now part of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), while coastguard duties have been taken over by the People’s Armed Police.

China to pump billions into Indonesia under New Silk Road initiative–Investvine Indonesia and China on April 13 in Beijing signed five cooperation contracts worth $23.3 billion under the latter’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives. The cooperation covers the construction of a $2-billion hydropower plant in Kayan in North Kalimantan, the development of a $700-million facility for converting coal into gas there, as well as the construction of a $17.8-billion hydropower plant on Kayan River.

Huawei, Called a Security Threat by the U.S., to Focus on Other Markets–WSJ Huawei Technologies Co. said it plans to refocus on existing markets, following a series of setbacks in the U.S. and as the technology industry gets caught up in the spiraling trade spat between Washington and Beijing.

Climate change and shifting alliances–The interpreter The proxy battle between India and China for influence in the Maldives is a worrying example of the way in which climate adaptation support, delivered through infrastructure development and land reclamation, could in future be manipulated for political leverage.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Infrastructure Drive, Strong Domestic Demand to Sustain Philippines Growth–Modern Diplomacy ADB projects Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6.8% this year and 6.9% in 2019, up from 6.7% in 2017. Rising domestic demand, remittances, and employment, in addition to infrastructure spending, will drive growth. ADO is ADB’s flagship annual economic publication.

    Related: Invest In The Philippines–Investvine

 Laos Set to Graduate From Least Developed Country Status by 2024–Radio Free Asia For the first time since it was identified by the United Nations as one of the world’s Least Developing Countries (LDC), Laos has fulfilled the eligibility criteria to be removed from the list, and could see its status upgraded as early as 2024, according to the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Diagnosing causes of inequality crucial for ASEAN–The Jakarta Post One startling figure about recent global growth is that 82 percent of all the wealth created last year went to the top 1 percent. After focusing on economic growth for a number of decades, developed and developing countries alike have been increasingly concerned with equality.

Indonesia-Vietnam Strategic Partnership: The Maritime Domain–The Diplomat This week, Indonesia and Vietnam held the third round of their bilateral cooperation committee meeting in Hanoi. Though the meeting saw both sides discuss a range of issues, the headlines were centered around the security domain in general and the maritime realm in particular.

Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship: What’s on the Security Agenda?–The Diplomat On April 16, Singapore’s defense minister addressed a security forum in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. Though his remarks touched on Asian security issues more broadly, they also included references to key items that the city-state is looking to advance during its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that bear careful watching.

Japan, Malaysia ink defense equipment deal–NHK World Japan and Malaysia have concluded an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and cooperation in defense technology. This comes as Japan has been signing similar deals with the United States, European and Asian countries to transfer patrol planes, radars and other defense hardware and technology.
TAIWAN

New Southbound Policy helps transformation of Taiwan’s businesses: NDC–Taiwan News Since the current government came to power in May 2016, Taiwan has been promoting a New Southbound Policy which pushes closer ties with the nations of South and Southeast Asia, as well as with Australia and New Zealand. NDC Deputy Minister Chiou Jiunn-rong said that Taiwan needed internal structural reform, which could be triggered by its problems in approaching Southeast Asian markets.// Innovation will be a critical task for Taiwan if it wants to export its products to Southeast Asia.

This week’s new digest was curated by Chen-Sheng Hong.

EXSE FOCUS

Analyst: The Mekong is a Chance for China to Improve Its Soft Power Footprint–VOA Khmer The VOA Khmer spoke to Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia program, on the sidelines of the summit about the future prospects of the region’s iconic waterway. “I think the Chinese stakeholders driving the process are not looking to replace or supplant any major organizations, but rather are looking for a way to complement and fill gaps. The LMC is another chance, I guess, for China to improve its soft power position and to improve its investment footprints”, Eyler said.

Related: Mekong Eye’s GMS Sixth Summit News Roundup-Mekong Eye

Solar Surge Threatens Hydro Future on Mekong–VOA Thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy contracts in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia have been signed, seriously challenging the financial viability of major hydropower projects on the river. Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a nonprofit in Washington dedicated to enhancing global peace and security, said 6,000 megawatts’ worth of wind and solar contracts had been signed in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos in the last six months.

Related: In the Mekong, questions arise over impact of favoring hydropower-devex

Related: Mekong River Commission Warned on Development Impacts to the River-Radio Free Asia

          Related: Mekong River leaders grow hushed on hydropower fears at summit–NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Japan, US and India team to fund Indo-Pacific infrastructure–NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW Japan, the U.S. and India have agreed to work together on infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region as the countries look to counter growing investment by China. They will focus on South and Southeast Asian nations such as Nepal and Bangladesh as well as Myanmar.// Southeast Asia is under the spotlight for regional initiatives including China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and the US and Japan’s ‘Indo-Pacific strategy.’ Time to hedge and balance.

Tensions with US and China spur Seoul to deepen ties with Vietnam–The Straits Times Facing persistent trade tensions with China and the US, South Korea is deepening ties with Vietnam, which is on course to surpass the US as Korean companies’ second-biggest export market. South Korean President Moon Jae In is looking to expand trade with South-east Asia as one way for corporate giants such as Samsung Electronics Co. to diversify production bases and export markets.

Vietnamese, Japanese defence minister hold talks–Nhan Dan Vietnamese Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and his Japanese counterpart Onodera Itsunori reiterated the importance of building a stable, free and open order in line with law in the Indo-Pacific region during their talks in Tokyo on April 10. Itsunori noted that Japan wants to strengthen partnership with Vietnam in an effort based on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy. // Vietnam now seems to seek to deepen defense cooperation with both the US and Japan, though it still maintains close relations with China. Stay tuned.

Related: Japan treasures ties with Vietnam: Prime Minister Abe-Vietnamnet

Related: Japan-Vietnam Defense Relations in the Indo-Pacific Spotlight-The Diplomat

CPTPP and Leadership in the Global Trade System–The Diplomat The CPTPP represents a model for the trading system in which other states step up to new leadership roles – unexpectedly, Japan became the advocate of free trade and encouraged others to go forward with new rules as a counterpoint to the protectionist turn in the United States and state capitalism model of China.

Japan’s pragmatism in its diplomatic ties with Cambodia–Khmer Times Cambodia potentially can be a platform for Japan and China to build a synergy between the Japan-proposed “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and the China-proposed “Belt and Road Initiative”, and the Mekong-Japan Cooperation with the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation mechanisms.

Related: Japan, Cambodia sign $90 million aid agreement-Reuters

Identity crisis: Australia seeks new allies amid US-China rivalry–NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW As the U.S. and China vie for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia is looking for new partners to ensure its future affluence and security. In many ways, ASEAN is a natural focus for Canberra’s efforts to expand its pool of friends and partners. Taken together, the 10 ASEAN economies accounted for 100 billion Australian dollars ($76.9 billion) of Australia’s trade in fiscal 2016.

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

New directions for the Mekong–Khmer Times Institutional reforms of the MRC must be more robust and its members agreed to contribute more funding to support the operation and functioning of commission in order to realise the vision that it would become financially independent by 2030. This in turn would strengthen the ownership and effectiveness of this inter-governmental body.// Eyes on the MRC to building new connections to the LMC.

Mekong Delta ready for fight against climate change–Vietnamnet As hot weather peaks this month in southern Vietnam, authorities in the Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) region are stepping up efforts to cope with forest fires and salinisation as a response to climate change.

Cambodia community shows power of connecting nature and humanity–Mekong Eye Mondul Yorn village is located in the Virachey National Park, in the northeastern Cambodian provinces of Ratanakiri and Stung Treng. Many villagers are rice farmers and live using the abundant resources from the O’Tabok River. The villagers are concerned because the water in the river has become lower than before. They are concerned that in the future, if the water level continues to get lower, boats will not be able to travel on the river and the local people will not be able to catch fish.

Cambodia has made great strides in health care but many challenges remain, says WHO coordinator–Southeast Asia Globe While Cambodia has had a lot of economic growth it is still not a rich country… the amount of money available for health care is not so large and so the challenge for Cambodia is how can it address all the services that people need and also make sure that people can afford health care with the resources that are available.

National strategy on forest conservation out this year–Myanmar Times The government of Myanmar will come up with a national strategy to stem forest degradation this year as part of the country’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. In Myanmar, the potential for mitigation of climate change through reducing deforestation and forest degradation is comparatively high, as the country’s deforestation rate is one of the highest in the world.

CHINA 

Ozone pollution worsens in north China–The Straits Times Concentrations of hazardous ground-level ozone have worsened in northern China despite country-wide efforts to tackle air pollution, according to a Peking University study. Ozone rose throughout the region, with concentrations up 40 per cent or more in 10 northern cities from 2014 to 2017, the study said. Cuts in other forms of pollution are believed to have contributed to the rise.

IMF’s Lagarde says Belt and Road progressing but warns of debt risks–Reuters International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Thursday China’s Belt and Road initiative is showing signs of progress but warned of potential debt risks for partner countries involved in joint projects.

ADB sees Asia’s 2018 growth at 6 percent, but warns of trade risks–Reuters  The Asian Development Bank raised its 2018 economic growth estimate for developing Asia to 6.0 percent from 5.8 percent, citing solid export demand, but said U.S. protectionist measures and any retaliation against them could undermine trade. The ADB now expects China’s economy to grow 6.6 percent this year, faster than the bank’s prior estimate of 6.4 percent made in December, and by 6.4 percent in 2019.

Tariffs On Chinese Solar Products Hurt the U.S Rather Than Help It–Here’s Why–Forbes President Trump recently imposed tariff increases on Chinese solar cells and modules, important components in solar energy generation. But in fact, the move may end up hurting the U.S. more than it does China, as it puts solar jobs at risk.

China Shines Bright as Solar Leads Record Renewables Investment–Bloomberg Solar investments eclipsed all other forms of electricity generation in 2017 as China’s green boom accelerated. Investors worldwide plowed a record $161 billion into solar energy last year, more than half the investment in all renewables apart from large hydroelectric projects. Total investment in renewables rose 2 percent to $280 billion.// China can play a more active role in investing solar power plant in Southeast Asia instead of keeping building dams that threaten regional water resources. 

China has built the world’s largest water-diversion project–The Economist The South-to-North Water Diversion Project—to give the structure its proper name—is the most expensive infrastructure enterprise in the world. It is the largest transfer of water between river basins in history, and China’s main response to its worst environmental threat, which is (despite all the pollution) lack of water.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Vietnam calls for tougher measures on cryptocurrency deals amid alleged scam–Reuters  Vietnam urged greater vigilance against cryptocurrency transactions and investments, as officials in its economic hub asked police to investigate what could prove to be the country’s largest cryptocurrency fraud.  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Public Securities and other bodies to tighten the “management of activities related to bitcoin and other cryptocurrency”, the government said.

Heavy Facebook Use Exposed Southeast Asia to Breaches of Personal Data–VOA Facebook users in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, were especially exposed to recent data privacy breaches due to high user numbers and the popularity of an app at the core of the problem, analysts believe.

Malaysia’s Upcoming General Election: What to Expect–CFR Malaysian prime minister Najib tun Razak dissolved parliament and called a general election, which will now occur no more than sixty days after April 7, the day of dissolution. Najib and other leaders of the governing coalition likely set this timetable in part so the election would be held while the longtime opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, remains in jail.

Thailand’s Lesson for Democratic Regression: A Review of ”Owner of the Map”–CFR It may be hard to believe now, as blustery generals run Thailand, the army busts up gatherings of political opponents, and junta rule—in one form or another—seems like it might never end, but the country was once touted as an example of democratization.

ADB Sees More Growth for Myanmar Economy, Pushes for Reforms–The Irrawaddy Myanmar’s GDP growth rate jumped from 5.9 to 6.8 percent last year on the back of a strong agriculture sector, export growth and robust private consumption, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its Asian Development Outlook 2018.

Vietnam weighs law for coast guard to open fire to protect sovereignty–Channel NewsAsia Vietnam wants to give its coast guard more flexibility to open fire at sea, amid tension in the busy South China Sea waterway. The draft law, expected to be voted by lawmakers at the end of this year, would allow greater assertiveness in disputed waters by the coast guard, now armed with modern U.S. and Japanese patrol boats, in a policy likely to alarm neighbouring China.

Indonesia seizes alleged ‘slave ship’ wanted by Interpol–Channel NewsAsia Indonesia seized an alleged “slave ship” following a dramatic high seas chase sparked by an Interpol alert after the vessel escaped capture in China and Mozambique. a vessel with a notorious maritime rap sheet, would be entering the Southeast Asian nation’s waters with authorities concerned the crew were being forced to work.
YUNNAN

In interview, Yunnan Party chief stresses ending poverty–GoKunming China’s President Xi Jinping has declared that the country will rid itself of “absolute poverty” by the end of 2020. With just a few years to go, Yunnan province has considerable work to do. The term absolute poverty is typically used to describe people living on less than US$1 a day, the equivalent of about 6.30 yuan.

TAIWAN

U.S-China trade war proves New Southbound Policy right: Taiwan President–Taiwan News The New Southbound Policy was designed to wean Taiwanese business off its heavy reliance on investing and manufacturing in China, and to turn them into the direction of Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. As the U.S. slaps sanctions against products “made in China,” a number of products manufactured by Taiwanese companies in China might be hit.// The New Southbound policy plays a key role for Taiwan to decrease reliance on China and deepen relations with Southeast Asia.

East By Southeast celebrated its 5th birthday this week! Thank you for your ongoing support and readership.

EXSE FOCUS

Mekong summit begins Wednesday–Bangkok Post The summit will see the leaders discussing a wide array of issues and challenges that the region is facing, namely economic growth, a growing population, infrastructure development, climate impact, energy, food, urbanisation and industrialisation, and water security. // The summit’s centerpiece was the MRC’s Council Study Results which clearly demonstrate how hydropower will increase food insecurity and poverty in the Mekong basin. Mekong region countries should shift from the business as a usual trajectory to alternative development pathway to achieve regional sustainability. Increasing renewable energy deployment is one of the keys to achieving this goal.

Mekong cooperation: making a problem bigger–The Phnom Penh Post Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam vary greatly in size, population, natural resource abundance and level of economic development. Their interests do not necessarily converge. However, it is also the case that Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can each offer its neighbours something they cannot achieve by themselves. // This article is valuable because it expands regional cooperation beyond water to include energy and natural resources. It helps the governments of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos identify potential solutions to the dilemma.

Related: PM Phúc meets Cambodian and Lao counterparts at MRC Summit–Viet Nam News

Mekong leaders urged to act–The Phnom Penh Post – The message conveyed to those leaders on Tuesday night, after a two-day conference with experts, civil society and country representatives from across the Mekong Basin, was to heed the results of the MRC’s landmark Council Study – a massive report assessing the impacts of hydropower development – as the basis for future policymaking. The study’s predictions of the impacts on fisheries, agriculture and the economy across the basin if hydropower projects go through are dire – and for Cambodia, they are potentially catastrophic.

Stimson Center Statement at 3^rd Mekong Summit Ministerial Meeting – Stimson Center – As the only non-governmental organization at the table, and with the final message of the meeting, Stimson’s Southeast Asia Program Director Brain Eyler focused on the need for renewables, smart planning techniques, and a stakeholder-led process that reaches across borders to ensure a sustainable and secure Mekong basin.

Greater Mekong Sub-region countries determined to seek greater regional connectivity, closer trade links–Xinhua Net Leaders of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries agreed at the 6th GMS Summit in Hanoi to take concrete actions to achieve deeper economic integration, greater regional connectivity, closer trade links and financial cooperation, consolidated people-to-people bonds, and closer links with the rest of the world.

Related: Mekong summit sees $66B worth of projects agreed to–The Phnom Penh Post

China’s sway clear at Mekong summit–The Phnom Penh Post China’s ever increasing influence over the Mekong River Basin was apparent on the first day of a Mekong River Commission (MRC) summit on Monday, where cooperation between the MRC and the Chinese-backed Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism was floated. // LMC and MRC can become partners instead of competitors. Considering increasing influence of China in the region, exploring potential cooperation opportunity is more feasible than suspecting the intention of China with the LMC body.

Related: Mekong River conference hears of determination to work with LMC-The Nation

Kim Jong-un Met With Xi Jingping in Secret Beijing Visit–NYT North Korea’s enigmatic young leader, Kim Jong-un, made an unannounced visit to Beijing, meeting with President Xi Jinping weeks before planned summit meetings with American and South Korean leaders. The visit amounted to Mr. Kim’s international debut: It was the 34-year-old leader’s first trip outside North Korea since he took power in 2011, and his first meeting with another head of state. // It seems that North Korea wants to send a message that it will not compromise or shift its tendency toward the US, and China will still be a critical backing of North Korea.

    Related: North Korean Leader Visits Beijing Ahead of Summit–WSJ 

        Related: Did Kim’s Visit Just Hand China a Trump Card?–Foreign Policy 

Renewable Revolution Can Fundamentally Alter Energy-River Equation–Forbes The renewable revolution can bring low-cost, reliable electricity into balance with Mekong giant catfish, Irrawaddy dolphins, and the countless other species and people that depend on those healthy rivers.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

US Pacific Partnership 2018 Moves to Southeast Asia–The Diplomat On March 29, this year’s iteration of the annual U.S.-led Pacific Partnership, the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Asia-Pacific, moved to Southeast Asia beginning with Indonesia.

Mekong-Japan cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Strategy–Khmer Times Japan has taken a proactive approach in promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific strategy”. The Mekong region is a new growth center and strategic frontier of Asia, and geopolitically it stays at the heart of the Indo-Pacific. Cambodia is well placed geographically to link Asean in the two frameworks. // Japan is a traditional development partner for ASEAN countries (and this region will keep playing a critical role in Japan’s ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’), with the recent urge of high-quality infrastructure in the region from Japan’s Foreign Minister and the visit of Japan’s special advisor in Cambodia.

Related: Japan Links Mekong and ASEAN to Indo-Pacific Strategy-VOA Khmer                 

Related: Japan’s Indo-Pacific push galvanizes Mekong region– NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

Korea, Vietnam to upgrade relations–The Korea Times Korea and Vietnam agreed to upgrade their bilateral strategic cooperative partnership into a more comprehensive one, President Moon Jae-in and his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang said in a joint press announcement, Friday.

Singapore enforces UN sanctions and revokes North Koreans’ work permits–Southeast Asia Globe Magazine Singapore and North Korea have enjoyed relatively good relations in the past, with citizens of the DPRK able to enter the Southeast Asian city-state visa-free up until mid-2016. However, international sanctions have strained their relationship in recent years, and in 2017 Singapore announced that it was suspending commercial trade relations with North Korea in line with the UNSC’s demands.

Deciphering Jokowi’s Javanese card in ASEAN-Australia–ASIAN Correspondent Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that “it is a good idea” for Australia to join the Association of Southeast Asian States (Asean) to increase political and economy stability in the region. This prompted speculation among political analysts. Some have interpreted Jokowi’s implied invitation to Australia as a “Javanese response” – giving an ambiguous answer to please others.

How Asia Could Circumvent US-China Trade War–The Diplomat The world’s two biggest economies have swapped tariff hikes in a tit-for-tat escalation that threatens a global trade war. As negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing, just how much China is willing to concede, and the United States is ready to accept, will keep the world guessing as the rest of the Asian region strives to avoid further fallout.

Related: U.S.-China Trade-War Crossfire Threatens Asia-WSJ

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Women key to Mekong’s future and prosperity–The Phnom Penh Post In the Mekong, women play important roles in the use and management of water and aquatic resources and are key contributors to local economies. Despite the multiple roles women play in water management, they remain under-represented or excluded from decision-making on how water resources are shared, developed and managed.

Mekong River dams ‘will harm food security’–The Nation Hydropower development on the Mekong River will aggravate food insecurity and poverty in the region and reverse the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a study says. Environmental and social specialists of Mekong River Commission (MRC) warned during the third MRC International Conference in Cambodia, that hydropower dam development in the Mekong River was expected to ravage the river basin with severe environmental and socioeconomic impacts.

       Related: Ongoing Mekong Dam Construction Puts Communities at Serious Risk: Advocates-VOA Khmer

What will Jokowi’s legacy be in climate change?–The Jakarta Post Indonesia will have its next presidential election in April next year, which will also mark the end of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s first term. Climate talks, however, remain tragically absent, despite the fact that Indonesia is one of the largest greenhouse gas-producing countries in the world, largely due to deforestation, peatland degradation and forest fires.

Mekong: more dams, more damage–The Interpreter The great biodiversity and precious resources of the Mekong are increasingly endangered by the rush to dam one of the world’s great rivers. A total of 11 mainstream dams and 120 dams on tributaries are planned, which scientists warn will imperil the already fragile river system. Recent studies call for a suspension and review of future projects.

This small city in the Philippines is taking big steps to curb emissions–Eco-Business San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, the Philippines, was once home to one of the country’s biggest sugar mills. But as the growth of the sugar industry has slowed since the 1980s, the city has sought alternative means of generating revenue. It has harnessed one of its most abundant natural resources: sunshine. // This city conducted a community-level GHG emission inventory to calculate its carbon emissions, and we can think about how to expand this idea to another city in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia Closes Island Beaches to Recover from Climate Change and Tourism–The Irrawaddy Magazine More popular Southeast Asian islands will be off limits to visitors this year as officials seek to protect eco-systems crumbling from warming seas and unchecked sprawl, despite the risk to tourism revenues and tens of thousands of jobs.

             Related: Profit vs. environment: Top Southeast Asia beaches close for clean-up–Investvine

Mekong River bird species threatened by dam discharges–The Nation The Mekong River ecosystem has been devastated from rising water levels during the dry season, as upstream dams in China discharge water to facilitate navigation in the river.

CHINA 

“China Steps Out: Beijing’s Major Power Engagement with the Developing World”: A Review–CFR President Xi Jinping has dramatically reshaped China’s presence and power on the world stage, touting a “new model” for developing countries to follow and advocating a “new type of international relations”; unlike predecessors such as Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, Xi openly promotes China as a model of development.

China ‘environment census’ reveals 50% rise in pollution sources–The Guardian Releasing preliminary results of an ongoing “environmental census”, China’s ministry of ecology and environment said the number of sources of pollution in the country stands at about 9m, compared to 5.9m in its first census, in 2010.  Ministry mentioned that factories break emission rues is the big problem.

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation driving force in building peaceful, prosperous community–Khmer Times During the first “Lancang-Mekong Week” (March 19-25), Prak Sokhonn told Xinhua in a joint interview that the Phnom Penh Declaration and the Five-Year Plan of Action (2018-2022) were two very important documents, which provided clear-sighted vision for the future development of the LMC.

China pollution sources up by more than half since 2010, environment official says–The Straits Times The number of pollution sources in China has increased by more than half in eight years, the environment ministry said on Thursday (March 29) as it embarks on a nationwide survey to determine the damage done by more than 30 years of untrammelled growth.

China needs more water- Using cutting-edge defence technology–Digital Journal China is testing cutting-edge defense technology to develop a powerful yet relatively low-cost weather modification system to bring substantially more rain to the Tibetan plateau, Asia’s biggest freshwater reserve.

Greens take on China’s Infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia–NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW Rural communities in Thailand have been challenging Chinese companies with street protests, court petitions, and occasionally sorcery, to block environmentally-damaging projects in their back yards — and their call to action is being taken up across mainland Southeast Asia. // Increasing environment protest put pressure on China’s infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, with success in blocking Pak Beng Dam and other projects. China needs to think about building more environmental-friendly projects in the region and select reliable local partners to establish a positive image.

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

Can ASEAN Economic Integration Succeed?–The Diplomat Later this month, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will host its 32nd summit. ASEAN’s themes for 2018, under Singapore’s chairmanship, are “resilience and innovation.” Both will be needed if the group’s members are to bridge their differences and meet their challenges.

Vietnam plans to hike fuel taxes in fight against pollution, debt–Reuters  Vietnam plans to raise taxes on fuels starting in July to reduce pollution and pay off public debt, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, though analysts caution the levy could increase inflation and hurt businesses in the country.

Myanmar Picks a New President, but He’ll Still Be No. 2–NYT The new president, U Win Myint, will succeed U Htin Kyaw, 71, who resigned last week after two years on the job. Mr. Htin Kyaw was widely regarded as an honest but powerless functionary who did the bidding of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate who has been condemned globally for her acquiescence to the military’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

        Related: Can A New President Pull Myanmar Out of the Quagmire of Conflict?–The Irrawaddy   Magazine

Philippines Urges Tougher Global Action on Cybersex Child Trafficking–The Irrawaddy Magazine Organizations such as the United Nations’ children’s agency (UNICEF) say the Philippines is the epicenter of a growing cybersex trafficking trade, with many children forced to perform sex acts, abused and raped by relatives in front of a webcam.

Vietnam’s most powerful man strives to put stamp on economy–Nikkei Asian Review Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, appears to be borrowing from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s playbook. Like Xi, Trong is using an aggressive anti-corruption campaign to attack political foes and push his policy agenda. Can he tackle vested interests?

Thailand wants to join CPTPP trade pact this year: Somkid–Bangkok Post Thailand aims to seek membership in a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement this year, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said on Thursday.

The Other Country Crucial to Global Climate Goals: Indonesia–The Diplomat  Indonesia, a country that, depending on the scale of its now-seasonal fires, can be the world’s third to sixth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has done little to implement policies that would enable it to meet its already weak Paris agreement goals.

Related: What will Jokowi’s legacy be in climate change?-The Jakarta Post

Uber to Sell Its Southeast Asia Business to Grab, a Regional Rival–NYT Uber, which for years spread across the globe with command-and-conquer rapaciousness, is pulling back from another major ride-hailing market. The company said on Sunday that it would sell its Southeast Asia ride and food-delivery businesses to Grab, a rival based in Singapore.

                    Related: Why Uber Needs To Retreat To Move Forward–The Forbes

Laos on a fast track to a China debt trap–Asia Times Laos is one of eight global countries considered of “particular concern” for a future debt crisis. The main cause of concern is the small poor country’s big rich plans for a US$6.7 billion high-speed railway that China is promoting as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The project’s cost represents a quarter of Laos’ current gross domestic product (GDP). // Not only Laos but also other low-income countries in mainland Southeast Asia like Cambodia engage deeply in China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative.’

 Belt and Road could bring risks for Cambodia debt–The Phnom Penh Post China’s financing of Belt and Road Initiative projects in Cambodia could lead to increased debt distress, according to a recent analysis, though the Kingdom’s low overall debt makes it unlikely to default in the near future.

Vietnam May Soon Emerge As One of Southeast Asia’s Blockchain Innovation Hubs–Forbes During the past several decades, Vietnam has shown what the World Bank describes as a “resilient” economy, thanks to rapid GDP growth. Society-wide, overall health and education outcomes have risen in recent years and the rate of extreme poverty dropped to 3%. This year, Vietnam’s economic growth could reach 6.7%. However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
YUNNAN

Mekong Dam Could Choke China’s Last Rainforest–Caixin Global A swath of tropical rainforest on the Xiaohei River in South China’s Yunnan province has been cut down to make way for the Huilongshan Hydropower Station.

TAIWAN

Taiwan’s role in transforming India’s northeast–Asia Times India’s Act East policy, launched in 2014, outlines a multifaceted approach that ranges from expanding cultural links to improving trade ties and transport connectivity. There are ample synergies between Taiwan’s New Southbound policies and Act East policies exist. // Taiwan’s government is developing a close alignment with other Indo-Pacific countries like India through New Southbound Policy.

This week’s news digest was curated by Chen-Sheng Hong.