Asean Morning News For November 13

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Asean, Hong Kong to sign free trade agreement
Asean and Hong Kong are signing free trade agreement on this Saturday. This will further enhance ties between Asean and Hong Kong, says Minister in the Prime Minister`s Department Wee Ka Siong.
— Inquirer

Asean ranked sixth as the world’s largest economy
Asean is now ranked sixth as the world’s largest economy with capital markets worth US$3.7 trillion (RM15.65 trillion), said Securities Commissions Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Ranjit Ajit Singh.
— New Straits Times

APEC/ASEAN: Prioritize Rohingya Crisis
World leaders meeting for summits in Asia on November 10-14, 2017, should address Burma’s Rohingya crisis and the deteriorating human rights situations in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said today.
— Human Right Watch

What’s next for the ASEAN economy in a post-American world?
The 10 nations that collectively make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have ridden globalization to become a major force in the global economy.
— Rappler

OceanLotus Group thought to be targeting ASEAN nations on behalf of Vietnam
The OceanLotus Group, also known as APT 32, may be on the hunt for targets in ASEAN nations. The group is reportedly using a combination of compromised websites and ‘typosquatting’ infrastructure.
— Security Brief Asia

South-east Asian crises far from Malcolm Turnbull’s agenda at APEC, ASEAN summits
South-east Asia’s most serious humanitarian crises in decades are off Malcolm Turnbull’s agenda when the prime minister attends the region’s annual leaders’ summits, beginning on Friday.
— The Sydney Morning Herald

Asean: Drug policies undermine social cohesion
With heads of state gathering in Manila for the 31st Asean Summit on Nov. 10-14, it seems appropriate to examine whether there are more effective drug policies than those currently at play in dealing with the harms caused by drugs in society.
— Inqurier

Building an alliance culture in Asean
For Filipino CEOs planning business expansion, many don’t see the need to sail too far to find a rich new fishing ground. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neighborhood is itself seen as a huge untapped market for many aspiring multinational corporations (MNCs).
— Inquirer

Talks on FTA between Asean and 6 partners at critical stage now
Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have reached a critical juncture, and ministers will review their progress on the sidelines of next week’s Asean Summit in Manila, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon told Parliament yesterday.
— Singpore Law Watch

ASEAN’s First Naval Exercise in Perspective
A closer look at the broader context as the grouping is set to hold its inaugural multilateral naval exercise.
— The Diplomat

Asean scholarship holder jailed for altering exam grades
An Asean scholarship holder at Singapore Management University (SMU) hacked into his professor’s computer account and changed his own examination grades as well as those of others.
— The Straits Times

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Cambodia looks to expand longan exports into new foreign markets
With plantations yielding nearly 20,000 tonnes of the fruit per year for Cambodia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced its intention to expand longan exports to new countries.
— Fresh Plaza

Cambodia beaten by Thailand in heated annual rice contest
For the third year in a row Cambodia has failed to take the top spot in the World’s Best Rice contest, instead earning second place after Thailand.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia’s Garment Manufacturing Industry
Cambodia’s garment manufacturing industry is largely export-oriented and highly integrated into global supply chains.
— Asean Briefing

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Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Metro Pacific open to more partnerships with Indonesian firm
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is open to expanding its partnership with Indonesian infrastructure holding firm PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk in other infrastructure sectors including water and energy following the tie-up forged for tollways.
— Philstar Global

Indonesia eyeing West African market to export health products
Indonesia is eyeing export of health products by participating at the “Medic West Africa & Medlab West Africa Exhibition” (MWA), the largest exhibition of tools and health products in West Africa, held in Landmark Center, Water Corporation Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, in October 11-13, 2017.
— Antara

Wedding of Joko Widodo’s daughter attended by ‘Who’s Who’ of Indonesia
The who’s who of Indonesian politics and business gathered in Solo, the hometown of President Joko Widodo in Central Java on Wednesday (Nov 8), to celebrate the nuptials of his only daughter Kahiyang Ayu, and property firm director Bobby Nasution.
— The Strait Times

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Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Laos launches first bus ride to Nan province
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has launched its first commercial bus service, between the Laotian province of Luang Prabang and Nan province of Thailand, to promote tourism and economic growth between the two nations.
—NBT World (video)

Chinese Developers Abandon International Airport Project in Laos SEZ
An international airport project scheduled for construction by a Chinese developer in northwestern Laos’s Bokeo province has been canceled so that an airport built earlier in the province may be upgraded instead, sources say.
— Radio Free Asia

Analysts Concerned with Laos’ Rising Debt
For the first time in twenty years, analysts have drawn their concerns back to potentially unsustainable debt that has been accruing in the region. Largely untouched by the ’97 collapse, experts fear that Laos could get pulled into a new era of financial turmoil.
— The Laotian Times

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Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Minister says Malaysia’s 2017 trade could reach RM1.5-RM1.6 trillion
Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan is optimistic that Malaysia’s total trade could increase to between RM1.5 trillion and RM1.6 trillion this year from RM1.48 trillion last year.
— The Sun Daily

Eco World Int’l to develop 12 new sites, expand UK presence fourfold
Eco World International Bhd (EWI), which already has three projects in London, plans to develop 12 sites in Greater London and the South East of England in partnership with UK construction and interior fit-out firm Wilmott Dixon.
— The Star Online

Malaysia’s Petronas asked to exit Myanmar in protest of Rohingya crisis
Malaysian members of parliament on Wednesday asked state energy firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd, or Petronas, to exit its Myanmar operations and investments to protest the violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
— Channel News Asia

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Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Myanmar warns U.N. scolding could harm talks with Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis
Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could “seriously harm” its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown.
— Reuters

Myanmar Government ‘Wronged’ by UN Statement
The Myanmar government feels “wronged” over a UN Security Council statement on the Rohingya refugee crisis that reflected international media’s perceived bias of the issue, said presidential spokesperson U Zaw Htay.
— The Irrawaddy

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Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Rody to ask China: Do you want to control SCS?
Ahead of possible talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Vietnam, President Duterte said yesterday he wants to know straight from Beijing if it intends to control the South China Sea.
— Philstar

Government eyes tax amnesty program in 2018
The government may implement next year a tax amnesty program aimed at improving taxpayer compliance and boosting government revenue, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said yesterday.
— Philstar

Duterte to meet with Putin on APEC sidelines
President Duterte is expected to have bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with the leaders of host country Vietnam and Papua New Guinea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit here.
— Philstar

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Singapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Singapore fourth most-visited city in the world last year: Study
Singapore was the fourth-most visited city in the world last year with 16.6 million visitors to the country, according to Euromonitor’s latest ranking of the top 100 tourist destinations released on Tuesday (Nov 7).
— Channel NewsAsia

Singapore ranks top spots as the world’s most welcoming city for tourists
Singapore was named by a news travel index as the world’s most welcoming city for tourists with the Republic earning an overal score of 8.22 out of 10 in safety, world-class airport and willingness to host tourists, according to the Straits Times Online on Wednesday (Nov 8).
— Thai PBS

Asean scholar at SMU jailed for hacking into prof’s account
An Asean scholarship holder at Singapore Management University (SMU) hacked into his professor’s computer account and changed his and others’ examination grades.
— The New Paper

See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News

Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Government sets deadlines for ranking improvement
Thailand is aiming for No.2 in Asean in the World Bank’s next ease of doing business rankings for 2019 after the country rose to 26th in the 2018 list from 48th the year before.
— Bangkok Post

Thai c.bank holds key rate steady, cites better growth outlook
Thailand’s central bank on Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged again at 1.50 percent, saying monetary policy still supports the country’s economic recovery at a time of high household debt.
— Reuters

GSI continuing on uptrend
The Government Savings Bank (GSB) has reported that the nation’s Grassroots Sentiment Index (GSI) rose in the third quarter, with the trend set to continue in the fourth quarter on assistance programs from the state.
—NNT

See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News

Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnam posts $2.2 bn trade surplus in October
Vietnam had a trade surplus of $2.2 billion in October, much higher than the government’s forecast of $900 million, the customs department said on Wednesday.
— Bangkok Post

AIIB wants to help Da Nang develop infrastructure
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) wants to boost cooperation in infrastructure investment with Da Nang so as to help promote the development of the central city of Vietnam, AIIB President Jin Liqun told local officials on November 8.
— VietnamPlus

HCMC: Land available for Build-Transfer projects shrinks
According to the HCMC Planning & Investment Department, 23 BT projects have been signed so far with total investment capital of VND71.127 trillion.
— VietnamNet Bridge

See here for more of today’s Vietnam Morning News

Asean Morning News is the most comprehensive selection of reports on what you need to know from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. All articles are hand curated by the team at AEC News Today. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.