The top stories this week are Myanmar President Thein Sein’s historic visit to the White House, Li Keqiang’s South Asian diplomacy tour, and Kunming’s environmental protests.
Top media outlets like AP, South China Morning Post, the Telegraph, the Guardian offer analysis and discussion of the government’s follow-up/crackdown after the latest 5/16 protest. In addition to ExSE’s continuing discussion of the Kunming protests, we recommend the following three pieces.
New Dawn for Chinese Activism – SBS Australia A new age of environmental protest is dawning in China as the ‘lao baixing’, or ordinary people, gain a voice with the help of social media, writes Monica Tan.
China’s Environmental Politics: A Game of Crisis Management – Council on Foreign Relations
Why China Can Handle Social Unrest – The Atlantic Recent protests in Kunming reveal an increasing consciousness of environmental rights in the country. But do they threaten the Communist Party’s grip on power?
CHINA IN THE WORLD/REGION
Chinese fishermen seized by North Koreans freed – The Guardian 16 fishermen taken for ransom by armed North Koreans have been released, easing tensions between the Communist allies. A Chinese boat and 16 fishermen seized for ransom by armed North Koreans two weeks ago have been released, easing the latest irritant in relations between the neighbouring allies.
What Xi’s Travel Itinerary Says about China’s Foreign Policy – Caixin Latin America remains a focus for economic reasons, and updating Sino-U.S. ties is worth a stop in California
China’s Strategy in Afghanistan – The Atlantic Beijing is keen to increase its involvement in the country following the planned U.S. withdrawal in 2014. But security problems may interfere.
Chinese Takeaway: Li in Pakistan- Carnegie Endowment for Peace China is unlikely to stop using Pakistan to balance India anytime soon.
China and the other Asian Giant: Where are relations with India heading? ChinaFile Conversation
With China, Keep it Real – Carnegie Endowment for Peace Delhi must discard its current diplomatic style towards China, which involves avoiding difficult issues, and discuss the serious differences between the two nations.
Guest Post: China-Africa Development Fund in South Africa – China in Africa This guest post is by Yuan Li, a master’s degree student at Johns Hopkins University/School of Advanced International Studies. It is based on interviews she conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa, in January 2013.
It won’t be easy to build an ‘anyone but China’ club –FT The unstated aim of the TPP is a deal to bar the second-largest economy
CHINA AT HOME
Is there any hope for political change in China? – Council on Foreign Relations Political change is happening all the time in China, though the government is not leading the charge. Rather, the Chinese people are advancing political change through advocacy by nongovernmental organizations, communication via the Internet, and political protest.
Conservatives Counter Demand for Constitutional Rule in China – SCMP Chinese conservatives have come out to argue against the adoption of “constitutional rule”, a term increasingly used by liberals to demand the realisation of basic human rights guaranteed in the Chinese constitution. The nationalistic Global Times in an editorial on Wednesday called such demands “empty political slogans.”
Tibetan activists launch boycott of InterContinental over hotel plans – The Guardian Free Tibet-led campaign calls on Holiday Inn owner to withdraw from vast Lhasa project criticised as ‘PR coup’ for Beijing Tibetan campaign groups are launching a boycott of the InterContinental Hotels Group – the owner of Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and others – because of plans to open a vast 2000-room resort in Lhasa.
African hair salon in China brings success to its DRC owner The Guardian Congolese hairdresser in Beijing is example of the burgeoning Sino-African relationship
China unveils details of pilot carbon-trading programme – The Guardian Nation’s first trading scheme in the southern city of Shenzhen will cover 638 companies when it begins next month
China suspects presumed guilty until proven innocent – The Guardian Spate of wrongful convictions reveal shortcomings of judicial system with prosecutors putting pressure on judges over verdicts. It was a short drive that would cost them a decade. In May 2003, Zhang Gaoping and his nephew, Zhang Hui, picked up a hitchhiker en route to Shanghai and dropped her off in the coastal metropolis of Hangzhou. The following morning, the 17-year-old girl’s naked corpse was pulled from a drainage ditch. The two were hastily convicted of rape and murder, and spent 10 years in jail.
Responding to Disease Outbreaks: Is China’s Move Toward Greater Transparency Irreversible? – Council on Foreign Relations
Why Americans Should Worry About China’s Food Safety Problems – WSJ If a diner in the U.S. consumes a lunch of tilapia, mushrooms and spinach, there’s a decent chance the entire meal was imported from China. And the overwhelming odds are that none of those foods were inspected by the Food and Drug Administration when they arrived in the U.S.
REGION
Crackdown nets 800 suspects in Mekong region drugs smuggling – NationMultimedia Beijing – Police from four nations have so far detained more than 800 suspects and shut down several drug rings in a crackdown on gangs operating along the Mekong River, Chinese state media said Tuesday.
Thai PM pitches tri-nation rail talks – Bangkok Post
Why did the United States reestablish diplomatic relations with communist states like China and Vietnam? – Council on Foreign Relations The United States did not have diplomatic relations with mainland China in the late 1940s after the communist takeover (though theoretically it maintained diplomatic relations through ties with Taiwan). The United States ended diplomatic relations with Vietnam following the Vietnam War in 1975.
South China Sea dispute: Taiwan flexes its muscles | Editorial– The Guardian By hook or by crook, Taiwan is winning greater regional influence under a leader criticised at home as being too pro-Chinese It started with a common enough skirmish in the hotly disputed waters of the South China Sea. Ten days ago, a Philippine coast guard ship went too far in chasing off a Taiwanese fishing vessel in disputed waters. Such actions involve water cannons and the damage is nothing worse than a few broken portholes. This time the coast guard ship loosed off 54 rounds into the side of the Taiwanese boat and killed a fisherman. The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation launched an inquiry. A spokesmen for President Benigno S Aquino III said that a representative would convey “deep regret and apology” to the family of the dead fisherman. But all of this fell short of an official apology.
Asians abroad remit 260 billion dollars home in 2012 – NationMultimedia Some 60 million Asian workers abroad remitted 260 billion dollars to their home countries last year, making up 63 per cent of global remittance flows, the United Nations said Monday.
Top 5: female film directors – Sea Globe Editorial Five women who have brought a feminine touch to the male-dominated world of movie making in Southeast Asia
Misreading the Global Economy – Project Syndicate Over the last three years, the IMF’s economic forecasts have repeatedly proved to be overly optimistic. The problem is rooted in a misdiagnosis of the global economy’s problems, including the impact of the eurozone crisis and slowing GDP growth in emerging economies.
The Human City – Project Syndicate The world is undergoing rapid urbanization, with the share of the population living in cities set to reach 60% by 2030. International institutions, governments, NGOs, and others must work together to make cities efficient, livable, and sustainable, using technology and public policy to support citizens’ welfare and aspirations.
Overcoming East Asia’s Sovereignty Disputes – Project Syndicate Disputes over territorial sovereignty are among the thorniest of all diplomatic disagreements. While the sovereignty disputes in the South and East China Seas involve seemingly non-negotiable claims, the resources surrounding the islands can nevertheless be shared, nurturing habits of closer regional cooperation in the process.
America by Proxy? – Project Syndicate The demise of the Roman Empire resulted from a combination of strategic overreach and excessive delegation of security responsibilities to newcomers. The question for the US today is whether it can remain the world’s leading power while delegating to others or to technological tools the task of protecting its global influence.
Asia’s Naval Procurement Sees Major Growth – Defense News
CAMBODIA
Parlez-vous Anglais? – Sea Globe Editorial Despite France’s best attempts, Cambodia’s higher education system is embracing English
LAOS
Rubber factories in Laos encounter export problem with China-Vientiane Times
Fish lift not just a concept, expert says – Vientiane Times
Laos, US discuss regional cooperation – ANN
MALAYSIA
Malaysian authorities crack down on opposition activists – The Guardian After controversial re-election by National Front coalition, three anti-government figures arrested and activist student charged Malaysian authorities have detained three anti-government figures, charged a student activist with sedition and seized hundreds of opposition newspapers, raising political tensions after recent national elections triggered claims of fraud.
MYANMAR/BURMA
Thein Sein becomes first Burmese president to visit US since 1966 – The Guardian Former general’s trip sparks human rights protests as President Obama uses controversial name Myanmar for country. Former general Thein Sein became the first Burmese president to visit the White House in almost 50 years on Monday – a visit human rights groups protested was premature, citing alleged ethnic cleansing and civil rights abuses.
Too Fast, Too Soon – Council on Foreign Relations Joshua Kurlantzick critiques President Obama’s reaction to the recent Myanmar election
A Burmese spring – Banyan, Economist AFTER 50 years of brutal military rule, Myanmar’s democratic opening has been swift and startling, says Richard Cockett. Now the country needs to move fast to heal its ethnic divisions
Senator backs end to Burma sanctions – REUTERS Senator Mitch McConnel has backed a proposal to end sanctions against Burma – after a landmark visit by the Burmese President to the US.
Bye-bye, Burma, bye-bye– Banyan , Economist TO THE regret of some of its stick-in-the-mud writers, The Economist has long followed a strict policy of using official names for places. No East Timor for Timor-Leste, no Ivory Coast for Côte d’Ivoire, and of course, no Peking (heaven forfend!) for Beijing. So not long after the junta ruling Burma in 1989 changed its name to Myanmar, we followed suit.
Reforms ‘bear fruit’ as economy expands in Burma: IMF – AFP Burma’s economy expanded 6.5 percent last year and is set for further modest acceleration, the IMF estimated Wednesday, as sweeping reforms herald hopes of a renaissance for the impoverished nation.
Myanmar’s foreign arrivals up 44 per cent in the first four months – NationMultimedia Yangon – Foreign arrivals at Yangon airport during the first four months of the year jumped 44 per cent year-on-year, with Europeans accounting for about one-third, reports said Sunday.
Armed militia forces NLD members to resign over land row – DVB An armed militia in northeastern Burma’s Shan state forced more than 50 National League for Democracy (NLD) members at gunpoint to resign from the party on Sunday following a land dispute in the area.
Kachin rebels, govt to hold new round of talks in Burma – DVB The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Burmese government are tipped to resume union-level peace talks at the end of the month in the Kachin state capital, according to mediators. Lamai Gum Ja of the Kachin State Peace Creation Group said a meeting between the KIO and the government’s Peace Making Work Committee led by President Office’s Minister Aung Min is set to take place around 28 May in Kachin state’s Myitkyina.
Burma’s Web-Savvy Rebels – Foreign Policy How Burmese insurgent groups are using China’s version of Twitter to fight their war.
PHILIPPINES
Dan Brown’s Inferno Depicts Manila as ‘Gates of Hell’ – WSJ Philippine tourism officials are upset with bestselling-author Dan Brown’s portrayal of Manila in “Inferno” as a city of poverty, pollution and child prostitution.
Philippines cemetery provides Manila’s poor a place to live among the dead – The Guardian Thousands of families have made city graveyard their home as authorities grapple with rising population and housing shortage
A Tao worth telling – Sea Globe Editorial In the Philippines, a former meandering booze cruise has become the catalyst for change in needy communities
SINGAPORE
Family Storms Out of Singapore Inquiry Into U.S. Engineer’s Death – WSJ The family of an American engineer found dead in Singapore stormed out of the city-state’s inquiry into the death on Tuesday, complaining that they didn’t have time to prepare for what they called a “surprise” witness summoned by Singapore government lawyers.
THAILAND
Thailand’s Blackout Raises Questions About Power Stability -WSJ More than eight million residents and tourists in southern Thailand -– many of them in famous travel hubs such as Phuket, Hat Yai and Koh Samui –- were caught off guard by the country’s biggest-ever power blackout Tuesday night, plunging much of the region into darkness.
AIT operations back to normal following return to ‘old charter’ – NationMultimedia The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) said Thursday that the difficulties surrounding its legal status had ended following a decision in December to bring back its old charter.
Ital-Thai dam project ‘halted’– NationMultimedia Yangon — The government has reportedly halted a hydropower dam project with Italian-Thai Development Plc in Taninthayi region of lower Myanmar, citing its possible environmental and social impacts.
More Laotian staff sought for labour offices – NationMultimedia Thailand has called for more Laotian staff at immigration and labour offices to cope with a large number of Lao workers seeking employment here, Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap said Monday.
Intensifying conflicts foreseen: poll – NationMultimedia The Thai public foresees intensifying political conflicts following opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s notion that said a general election may take place late this year.
Thaksin to make phone call to address red-shirt rally at Ratchaprasong – NationMultimedia Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has announced he would make a phone call to address a red-shirt rally at the Ratchaprasong Intersection Sunday evening.
World Heritage status sought for city stretch of Chao Phraya – NationMultimedia The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to campaign for a section of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.
VIETNAM
The best books on Vietnam: start your reading here | Pushpinder Khaneka – The Guardian
Reducing emissions from Viet Nam’s freight sector – GMS Environment Operations Center Pilot projects to help small-medium trucking companies in Viet Nam ‘green’ their operations were discussed at a workshop in Ha Noi on Thursday 17 May. The proposed projects aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased freight efficiency and reduced diesel use. A revolving fund mechanism is planned, which would provide freight companies with the financial means to upgrade their fleets with cleaner technologies. Improved driver training and logistics management projects were also discussed.
Deutsche Bank and IFC accused of bankrolling Vietnam firms’ land grabs – The Guardian Report claims that families in Laos and Cambodia have been forced off land or are expected to work on rubber plantations. Two Vietnamese firms bankrolled by Deutsche Bank and the International Finance Corporation – the World Bank’s private lending arm – are leading a wave of land grabs in Cambodia and Laos, causing widespread evictions, illegal logging and food insecurity, according to a report.
Regional Roundup for Week of 6.7.13
