Regional roundup for week of 8.9.2015

EXSE FOCUS

What’s Next for the TPP? – The Diplomat Next steps for the TPP and implications for the U.S. and Asia-Pacific.

Related: Kerry says “confident” about TPP trade pact – Thanh Nien News

John Kerry’s 2015 ASEAN Summit Speech 8.6.15 – East By Southeast Transcript of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech and Q&A at 2015 ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ASEAN ‘Essential’ to Upholding Asia’s Rules, Says US Secretary of State – The Diplomat The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is essential to upholding Asia’s rules-based system, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a speech delivered in Malaysia on Wednesday. Kerry, who is on a trip to Southeast Asia covering Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, stressed that ASEAN was critical to addressing shared challenges during his stop in Kuala Lumpur to attend a series of multilateral meetings.

Related: ASEAN Impact: Ideas, Identities and Integration – The Diplomat

China says has stopped reclamation work in South China Sea – Thanh Nien News Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that Beijing had halted land reclamation in the South China Sea, and called on countries in the region to speed up talks on how claimant states should conduct themselves in the disputed waters. In June, China said it would soon complete some of its reclamation in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea, while adding it would continue to build facilities on the man-made islands. //Hard to know whether or not this announcement will hold. The proof will be in the pudding, especially after the Philippines’ case is heard at the Hague. 

Related: ASEAN is ‘seriously concerned’ about South China Sea reclamation – Thanh Nien News

Related: Kerry Urges Beijing to Halt ‘Problematic Actions’ in South China Sea – The New York Times

Related: Regaining the Initiative in the South China Sea – The Diplomat

How China Is Winning Southeast Asia – Project Syndicate With preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September visit to Washington, DC, underway, officials in both countries are predictably playing down their differences over China’s outsize territorial claims, backed by the construction of military facilities on previously uninhabited islands and atolls, in the South China Sea. And this diplomatic de-escalation, following months of recriminations and veiled threats, suits Southeast Asian leaders just fine.//There are many, including some ExSE team members who would dispute this. The real question is “Which part of Southeast Asia is China winning?” The average citizen in SE Asia has a dimmer view of China than their elected (or un-elected) politicians.  

Maritime Silk Road can bridge China-ASEAN cooperation – The Jakarta Post ASEAN has been a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy, and is considered a key starting point for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, China, together with ASEAN, will provide a new platform and opportunity for forging a closer community and shared future between China and ASEAN. //2015 declared “the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation” – what does this mean for the South China Sea conflict?

Related: China’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Seeking Alpha in Silk Road – The Diplomat

U.S. Not Concerned About Chinese Competition in Africa … But It Probably Should Be – ChinaFile The difference between U.S. and Chinese foreign policies in Africa was on stark display in July when president Barack Obama made his landmark visits to Kenya and Ethiopia. The president brought along with him a vast agenda that transcended trade, democracy, human rights, gay rights, women’s issues, and on and on and on. Compare that to similar visits to both of these countries by either Chinese president Xi Jinping or Prime Minister Li Keqiang who focus their attention largely on trade and development. //Consider, for example, China’s efforts in developing seaports and the Maritime Silk Road’s planned stop at Nairobi.

REGIONAL RELATIONS

Yes, the US Does Want to Contain China (Sort Of) – The Diplomat In July 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reassured his Chinese hosts that “the U.S. is not, as we have said many times, in a rivalry competition with China in terms of trying to contain it or otherwise.” In November 2014, during Obama’s second visit to China, he sought to “debunk the notion… that our pivot to Asia is about containing China.” On one level, this is absolutely true. But at the same time, it’s false. It all depends on how we define the term “containment” and what that actually implies about the United States’ goals vis-à-vis China.

US Public Opinion on China: A New Low? – The Diplomat The U.S.-China relationship is arguably one of the most important—if not the most important—bilateral relationships in the world. But in spite of this professed interdependence, a recent spate of publications by U.S. think tanks on the bilateral relationship have all been negative in nature, calling for a toughening of U.S. policy towards China. //Negative media attention highly impacts the public’s view of China, as well as of any other country. It’s important to dig deeper and gain a better understanding of why a country is the way it is.

Vietnam Commissions Two New Subs Capable of Attacking China – The Diplomat On August 1, the Vietnamese Navy commissioned two new Russian-made Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines, according to Thanh Nien News. The 184-Hai Phong and 185-Khanh Hoa were both commissioned during a ceremony held at Cam Ranh Naval in Khanh Hoa province, south of Hanoi. The commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, Rear Admiral Hoai Nam noted that this constituted “a major step of modernizing the Navy, and the People’s Army of Vietnam in general.”

Aung San Suu Kyi’s China Trip and the Future of Sino-Myanmar Relations – The Diplomat In June 2015, Burmese parliamentarian and opposition party leader Aung San Suu Kyi led a delegation of National League for Democracy (NLD) party members to China. Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK), the general secretary of the NLD, met with President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese officials. The high-level discussions reflected the importance of ASSK’s trip for both sides.//A significant meeting, no doubt. Another example of ASSK’s pragmatism. Will her party follow her lead should they win big in the 2015 parliamentary elections?

Why Thailand Returned the Uyghurs – The Diplomat The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recently challenged Thailand’s repatriations of Uyghurs to China. This act, under international law could be termed refoulement, the return of a victim to their persecutor. Why would Thailand do this? The answer reflects both a long-term reality and a new political commonality.

Related: China asks US for help in fighting Islamist militants in Xinjiang region –The South China Morning Post

SUSTAINABILITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Asia takes leadership on renewables, but only out of necessity – The Guardian As the Paris climate conference draws ever nearer, and with it the prospect of a global agreement that all countries will cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Europe can look on its contribution to the fight against climate change with pride. But having fostered the fledgling renewable energy sectors of wind and solar power, and created the world’s first emissions trading scheme (ETS), it now looks as if Europe is ceding its leadership on environmental matters to Asia.

Related: Sieren’s China: Winds of change – DW

Dark days for coal in Asia, where Obama’s clean energy plan will reverberate – The South China Morning Post The Obama administration’s plan to curb US coal use will ripple across the globe to Asia, where the world’s biggest consumer and miners are balancing demands for cleaner air against cheaper energy.

Related: The limits of King Coal’s reign in South Asia – The Third Pole

The Salween River is Not for Sale – East by Southeast It is billed to become the biggest dam in SE Asia. The Mong Ton dam project on the Salween River will flood a vast area, with a reservoir extending 380 km upstream over an area home to thousands of Shan and other ethnic groups in a region of important biodiversity. Thousands of villagers supported by civil society in the Shan state are angry that their Salween –the last undammed river of size and importance in the region- is being dragged into the nexus of ever expanding hydro-power and big business.

IEA signs deal for largest Asean wind farm in south Laos – The Nation THAI renewable company Impact Energy Asia (IEA) plans to build the largest wind farm in Asean – and generate 600 megawatts on 400,000 rai in southern Laos – under an agreement signed by the Lao government and the company on Friday.//1 rai=6.25 hectares. The windfarm will take up 640 sq. km. in Laos. Wind power would have a decidedly smaller environmental impact than the Mekong cascade of dams being planned. 600MW is not insignificant, bu it pales in comparison to mega-projects like the Xayaburi Dam. 

Ho Chi Minh City to take lead in green fuel, ban common gasoline grade – Thanh Nien News Ho Chi Minh City, in probably one of its boldest moves to boost the use of greener fuel, will completely ban the most common gasoline grade 92 RON. All 514 gas stations in the city will have to switch to the 5-percent ethanol blend E5 on November 30. Le Ngoc Dao, deputy director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said the move was part of a plan to promote the locally-produced bio-fuel in seven cities and provinces.

Climate Change Puts Water Planning into Uncharted Territory – ADB Asia may be the world’s most dynamic region with the fastest economic growth, but also leads the world in other less desirable ways—such as being the most insecure when it comes to water resources.

CHINA

The Dangers of ‘China-Phobia’ – The Diplomat Glimpses of a growing “China-phobia” in the international community limit opportunities for real dialogue.

China to issue 300 billion yuan in bonds to fund huge infrastructure push – The South China Morning Post China will soon offer 300 billion yuan (HK$374 billion) in bonds to pay for infrastructure work across the nation, a fresh sign the leadership plans to speed up asset investment to buoy slowing growth.

Here’s What’s Wrong With Most Commentary on the Beijing 2022 Olympics – ChinaFile All in all, the Chinese government probably has good reason to believe that the 2022 Games will strengthen, rather than weaken, its domestic standing. In other words, Beijing may have been able to bid for the Games not because of its autocratic nature, but rather because it enjoys, at least on this issue, substantial popular support. //Although feedback seems to be mostly positive, let’s not forget those (Chinese) who are worried about govt. spending on the games rather than nationwide benefits, i.e., improving the health insurance system.

Related: Beijing’s Winter Doldrums – ChinaFile

Chinese Relatives Demand to be Flown to Site of Presumed MH370 Crash Debris – RFA As France said it would step up the search for debris from the doomed Malaysian flight MH370, angry relatives of the large contingent of Chinese passengers on board gathered near the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, demanding to be flown out to the presumed crash site near Reunion Island in the French Indian Ocean.

China’s crackdown on liberal academics: ‘It’s like a minor cultural revolution’ – The Guardian When Xi came to power in November 2012, some Chinese liberals hoped he might bring some measure of political reform. Foreign observers noted his father was believed to have opposed the 1989 military crackdown in Tiananmen Square and that his daughter was studying at Harvard University. Yet those hopes have proved spectacularly misplaced. Xi has instead presided over one of the most severe crackdowns on opponents of the Communist party in decades.//A worrying off-shoot of Xi’s reforms has been his repression of academics. 

Beijing Extends Detention of Top Rights Lawyer Amid Ongoing Crackdown – Radio Free Asia Authorities in the Chinese capital have once more extended the criminal detention of a top rights lawyer, his attorney said, amid an ongoing crackdown on the country’s legal profession. Pu Zhiqiang, 50, was indicted on May 15 for “incitement to racial hatred” and “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” after being held in criminal detention for more than a year. While the move should mean his case now moves to trial, his lawyers have hit out at repeated delays and extensions to his stay in Beijing’s police-run No. 3 Detention Center.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

‘Drug Free’ ASEAN by 2015? – The Diplomat They called it “Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015.” It was proclaimed many times by ASEAN leaders: We would be ushered into a miraculous new era of the only region in the world where the scourge of narcotics had been banished.//Much like the AEC, ‘Drug Free’ ASEAN is still a work in progress. 

Death toll reaches 27 as northern Vietnam braces for more devastating flooding, landslides – Thanh Nien News Heavy rains triggering floods and landslides have killed at least 27 people, displaced thousands people and isolated more than 10,000 others over the past days in northern Vietnam. Ten people were killed from August 1-3 to flashfloods and landslides, including 2 in Lai Chau, 2 in Lang Son, 3 in Cao Bang and one in each of Son La, Bac Giang and Yen Bai. Earlier, 17 people were killed in Quang Ninh, the province suffering the hardest hit so far, after a low pressure area triggered heavy rains since July 26. The province has got a record of 1,500 mm of rain in 9 days.

International Aid Filters in for Flood-Ravaged Burma – The Irrawaddy Pledges of international aid have ramped up as Burma’s government struggles to respond to widespread flooding that authorities say has affected more than 250,000 people nationwide. On Tuesday, Burma’s Information Minister Ye Htut said the country was appealing for international assistance to meet the crisis which has so far claimed the lives of 69 people, according to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. //Compare this with 2008, when Burma initially refused foreign aid during Cyclone Nargis.

Related: World leaders respond to Burma’s call for help – DVB

            Related: Rice Merchant: ‘The Situation Requires Govt Intervention’ – The Irrawaddy

All-Inclusive Pact Proves Elusive as Latest Peace Talks Close – The Irrawaddy Senior leaders of five ethnic armed groups will soon reconvene with government negotiators, representatives said, following the lackluster close of the latest round of peace talks on Friday. The ninth round of discussions, which have unfolded over more than 18 months and aim to secure a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), ended without agreement on inclusion for armed groups that are not recognized by the government.

Related: Three Armed Groups Make Peace Offer As Talks Continue in Rangoon –The Irrawaddy

YUNNAN

Yunnan invests in highways to alleviate Zhaotong poverty – GoKunming The Yunnan Road Investment Company this week announced it had signed several contracts with the governments of Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou to construct or upgrade five highway networks. These are planned to further link cities — especially those in Zhaotong — not only to Kunming, but also to more prosperous metropolises including Chengdu, Chongqing and Bijie.

“Asia’s longest suspension bridge” rises in Yunnan – GoKunming An enormous bridge being built in the western reaches of the Yunnan is perhaps lost among all of the other enormous infrastructure projects under construction across the province. Workers on the Longjiang Bridge in Baoshan Prefecture secured the first giant section of roadway last week, marking a major milestone in what will become a 2,470-meter suspension bridge.

REVIEWS

Notes from Underground: Delphine Schrank’s ‘The Rebel of Rangoon’ – The Irrawaddy Delphine Schrank’s stunning book “The Rebel of Rangoon” takes the reader into the clandestine world of the urban political operators that kept Burma’s struggle for democracy alive when many of their elders and contemporaries where imprisoned, exiled, or intimidated to avoid any activity that could be deemed as threatening to the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

How to Make Compromise Compelling: Christensen and Goldstein on U.S.-China Relations – CFR Sitting on the beach—or less fortuitously in an office—with nothing better to do in the last weeks of summer than read a few books on U.S.-China relations? You might want to pick up the new books by Thomas Christensen and Lyle Goldstein, The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power and Meeting China Halfway: How to Defuse the Emerging U.S.-China Rivalry, respectively. They are not light reading, but they will situate you well for the barrage of media attention sure to accompany the late September summit between Presidents Xi and Obama.

This week’s new digest was compiled by Rachel Tritsch, with analysis added by Rachel Tritsch and William Feinberg.