ASEAN and the world

The Lao Ministry of Health said on September 24 that in the past 24 hours, the country recorded 434 new cases of COVID-19, of which 406 were community infections.

(CPV) - The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is expected to see 8.1% economic growth in 2021 as solid exports as well as increased fiscal support in the second half of the year will offset a more protracted recovery in household consumption, according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered its 2021 economic growth outlook for developing Asia, amid continuing concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

(CPV) - Governments in Asia and the Pacific must transform agriculture to make it more modern, climate-proof, and inclusive as the region recovers from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

(CPV) - Children under the age of 2 are not getting the food or nutrients they need to thrive and grow well, leading to irreversible developmental harm, according to a new report released by UNICEF on September 22nd 2021.

Economic activity in Malaysia and India next year is expected to recover faster than previously forecast, although these two countries have been among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent months.

As vaccination drives are being stepped up, Southeast Asian nations are gradually loosening anti-pandemic measures, including resuming tourism activities.

(CPV) - The economic recovery in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) slowed amid a second wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has led to lockdowns and lower consumer spending, according to a report released on September 22nd 2021 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Cambodia's exports of garment and accessories from Cambodia rose by 3.3 percent to 5.02 billion USD in the first eight months of 2021, compared to 4.86 billion USD in the same period last year, the Khmer Times cited statistics from the Ministry of Commerce as reporting.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD60 million loan as additional support for the ongoing Electricity Grid Modernization Project that is upgrading power transmission and distribution systems in Nepal.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for Tajikistan that will focus on improving the quality of the country’s economic growth by supporting government efforts to increase productivity and mobilize private investments.

Laos logged a total of 467 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours including 383 local transmissions, the highest ever daily tally since the pandemic broke out in the country.

Vietnam has called on parties involved in Somalia to settle differences and put national interests first to solve the ongoing political crisis, said Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations.

(CPV) - Provincial-level consultations under the 30th anniversary commemoration of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)–Mongolia partnership continued today in the eastern region, including Khentii, Dornod, and Sukhbaatar provinces.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for Mongolia covering 2021–2024 to help the country recover from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and lay resilient foundations for inclusive and sustainable growth.

(CPV) - Leaders from the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) on September 9th 2021 endorsed a new 10-year strategy to promote sustainable, inclusive development and strengthen economic integration to combat threats such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, climate change, trade barriers, and rapid urbanization.

Secretary of State at the Cambodian Health Ministry Youk Sambath received 2.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccine from China on September 4.

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN, on September 1 attended the virtual Interface between the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the United Nations (UN) Delegation.

Ministers from 11 member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreed to schedule an online meeting on September 1 to discuss the UK application to join the deal.

Singapore has become the country with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the world, with 80 percent of its population having received two doses of vaccine.

The 42nd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-42) wrapped up on August 25 after three days of sitting via videoconference.

The top diplomats of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Thailand on August 27 agreed to intensify cooperation in future industries, health care and green technologies during their talks in the Southeast Asian country, according to the RoK Foreign Ministry.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has hihglighted three major economic and business strategies, comprising industrial downstreaming, digitising micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and developing a green economy.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD400 million policy-based loan to the Philippines to help improve local governments’ capacity to provide high-quality public services, especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Singapore on August 22, as part of her first Asia trip to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, reported the Kyodo news agency.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on 19 November signed a USD500 million loan to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with the construction of two new metro lines totaling 56 kilometers (km) in length.

Singapore’s Ministry of Health on August 18 announced that the country will give free COVID-19 vaccines to short-term pass holders who have been in Singapore for an extended period of time under the national vaccination programme.

Indonesia will soon start human clinical trials of its home-grown COVID-19 vaccine Merah Putih, according to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD235 million loan to further upgrade a national highway in Pakistan that is crucial to regional connectivity and strengthen the government’s operation and maintenance of its national highway network.

Southeast Asian countries need more help in securing COVID-19 vaccines, as the region is struggling to contain record infections and deaths driven by the Delta variant, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has said.