ASEAN and the world

A Philippine diplomat on August 9th said the country will lodge a protest over the unannounced presence of two Chinese survey vessels in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of Timor-Leste participated in a groundbreaking ceremony on August 9th 2019 in Baucau to officially mark the beginning of construction to upgrade 58 kilometers of the Baucau–Venilale–Viqueque national road corridor.

Malaysia will host the APEC Year 2020 from November 26th, 2019 to November 2020, with nearly 16,000 delegates from 21 member economies taking part, APEC 2020 head of logistics Suraya KA Rahman told a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 8th.

The Thai cabinet has endorsed a budget of THB3.2 trillion (about USD104 billion) for fiscal year 2020, up 6.7 percent from fiscal 2019, which ends on September 30th.

The Indonesian capital city of Jakarta on August 7th announced new regulations to curb private cars as it moves to rein in choking air pollution.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD500 million policy-based loan to support the Government of Pakistan’s reforms to improve trade competitiveness and exports as a defense against external shocks and to help finance the country’s trade deficit.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on August 5th called for joint efforts to combat terrorism in the region following a series of bomb blasts in neighbouring Thailand last week.

Many international experts have criticised China's illegal activities in the East Sea and demanded China to end its actions that have increased tensions in the region, to comply with international law and to implement trust-building measures to avoid conflicts.

(CPV) - ADB and Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) recently formed a partnership to support green project financing through investments in ADB’s green bonds.

Singapore has tightened security ahead of its National Day, especially in Padang where a parade is scheduled to take place on August 9th.

High representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU) Federica Mogherini on August 1st announced the deployment of military advisors in EU’s diplomatic corps in Asia.

The average income and living standards of Singaporeans in the 2017-2018 period have improved compared to the period from 2012-2013, according to the latest Household Expenditure Survey conducted by Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat).

Delegates to the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-52) in Bangkok on July 31st discussed the building of the ASEAN Community and foreign relations, and reviewed preparations for year-end summits, as well as exchanged ideas on international and regional issues of common concern.

(CPV) - ADB's Trade Finance Program (TFP) and Laxmi Bank Limited, a leading bank in Nepal, signed an agreement on July 30th 2019 to provide guarantees to support trade in the country.

A delegation of Vietnam led by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung attended the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Bangkok, Thailand on July 29th.

(CPV) - Crucial information on how to protect oneself from contracting Ebola saves lives. Since January 2019, UNICEF and its partners have engaged more than 3 million people in South Sudan with Ebola prevention messages, the UN children’s agency said on July 29th 2019.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD7.5 million grant, sourced from the Asian Development Fund, to support a nationwide, digital health information system that will improve the quality and reliability of health statistics in Tonga.

Indonesia plans tighter rules to stem a surge in imports of plastic waste.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has pledged to lead the country on the path of progress with rule of law, without leaving anyone behind.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on August 19, days ahead of hosting a G7 summit, to be held in the southwestern French city of Biarritz on August 24th-26th.

Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs, on July 26th (US time) issued a statement on Chinese interference in Vietnamese-controlled waters, in which he said China’s actions constitute a violation of Vietnamese sovereignty and its legitimate rights within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

A volcano erupted near Indonesia's third-biggest city of Bandung on July 26th, sending ash several hundred metres into the air and triggering warnings for people to stay away.

(CPV) - Papua New Guinea (PNG) has become the 160th country to accede to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, known as the New York Convention.

The 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (52nd AMM), Post Ministerial Conferences (PMCs), and related meetings will take place in Bangkok from July 29th to August 3rd.

(CPV) - ADB joined the Government of Tonga and other development partners in a groundbreaking ceremony on Juy 24th 2019 to officially mark the first step toward the construction of the country’s first off-grid solar-power plant and distribution network for Tonga’s most remote island of Niuatoputapu.

(CPV) - Lessons from the impact of the global economic crisis a decade ago, plus a sustained period of economic growth, has helped to drive substantial social development gains in the Pacific, according to the latest issue of ADB's Pacific Economic Monitor (PEM) launched on July 23rd 2019.

The 12th Education Cooperation Week between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China began in Guiyang city of China’s Guizhou province on July 22nd.

A workshop focusing on benefits brought by digital platforms was held by the Centre Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Tenggara Strategics in Jakarta on July 23rd.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD50 million additional capital contribution to support the guarantee operations of the Credit Guarantee Investment Facility (CGIF), a trust fund of ADB created to promote the development of deep and liquid local currency and regional bond markets in the ASEAN+3 region.

The number of babies born in Singapore were 39,039 last year, a 1.5 percent drop from 2017 and the lowest over the last eight years, according to a report by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.