Asean Morning News
Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1
China and ASEAN Aim for First Joint Maritime Exercise
China has called for a joint maritime exercise with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for years.
— The Diplomat
East Timor bids to join Asean
East Timor’s Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said Thursday his country is “doing our best” to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but Asean members Myanmar and Singapore are still withholding their support.
— Bangkok Post
Japan expects Asean meet to tackle South China Sea row
JAPAN is hoping that the competing claims of several countries over the resource-rich South China Sea will be part of the agenda of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in November.
— South Star Manila
US envoy: Trump skipping major ASEAN meet ‘purely scheduling reason’
US President Donald Trump’s decision to skip a major Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Manila in November is “purely for scheduling reason,” Washington’s top envoy to the Philippines said Thursday as he assured America’s unwavering commitment to the region.
— GMA News
Public Mutual launches new funds to capitalise on Asean and Greater China markets
Public Bank Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Public Mutual Bhd has today launched two new funds, the Public ASEAN Growth Fund (PASGF) and Public Greater China Fund (PGCF).
— The Edge Makets
2017 ASEAN Trade Fair showcases F&B products
Some 100 food and beverage (F&B) companies from the 10 ASEAN member countries are taking part in the ongoing 2017 ASEAN Trade Fair, themed “Taste the Happiness”, held from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 in Seoul.
— The Jakarta Post
Digital tools will only become more important in ASEAN retail
Digital tools need to be evaluated to get consumers to search for your products online, says Mohammed Sirajuddeen, managing director digital, Accenture ASEAN.
— MSN
ASEAN open skies deal a threat to Jetstar
Southeast Asia’s open skies deal will add competitive pressure to the fast-growing market, with implications for Qantas’s budget offshoot Jetstar.
— The Australian
ASEAN urged to protect ‘invisible’ domestic workers
There are 10 million domestic workers in Southeast Asia but they remain “invisible” in the region’s labor sector.
— Rappler
Communications infrastructure boosts Asean defense and cooperation
Asean defense ministers have formally launched the Asean Direct Communications Infrastructure (ADI), an initiative that is expected to take cooperation and communication in the region to new heights.
— Business Mirror
15-day gun ban imposed for ASEAN summit
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will impose a 15-day gun ban in Metro Manila and Central Luzon starting on All Saints’ Day up to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit next month.
— Philstar
Cambodia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
6th ABNE Brings Cambodia’s Asian Business Leaders Together (HD video, Gallery)
The biannual Asian Business Networking Event (ABNE) has become somewhat of a tradition in Phnom Penh and one that is awaited for with great anticipation by Asian business leaders in the kingdom. Crossing cultures, languages, religion, and politics, the ABNE brings together Cambodia’s leading Asian business leaders at an event where ideas are discussed, friendships forged, and business deals initiated.
— AEC News Today (video, photo gallery)
Ministry of Economy to begin restricting licences for real estate developments
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has decided to restrict the number of licences given for construction investment projects and real estate properties in Cambodia in an effort to ensure that projects which are allowed to proceed will be completed successfully.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Cambodian VP in China to tackle meat import reliance
One of China’s top meat-focused conglomerates could be about to expand its reach in south-east Asia.
— GlobalMeat
See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News
Indonesia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Indonesia may offer new railway project to China
Indonesia may offer China a project to construct an extended railway connecting Jakarta and West Java in a move that will allow the latter to tighten its grip on the former’s infrastructure development.
— The Jakarta Post
Coal Export to China Reaches $1.68 Bln as of End of August 2017
As of August 2017, Indonesia’s coal export value to China amounted to $1.68 billion.
— Netral News
Indonesia to create regulation on blended financing
The government will create a regulation to accommodate blended financing — the method of combining grants from donors with commercial funds — to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) programs.
— The Jakarta Post
See here for more of today’s Indonesia Morning News
Lao PDR Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Govt orders action to improve investment climate
The government has told ministries to speed up improvements to the investment climate and remove barriers to goods transport, the government spokesman said yesterday.
— Vientiane Times
People’s Representatives Encourage Implementing Single Window Entrance Fee Charging Mechanism
The President of the National Assembly Cultural and Social Affairs Committee has suggested that putting in place a single window mechanism to regulate the charging of entrance fees from visitors is worth doing as visitors will be able to enjoy visiting several places with a single ticket.
— Lao News Agency
COECCO signs mining contract with Lao Government
The Lao Government and the Vietnam Company of Economic Cooperation (COECCO) on Thursday signed a contract for exploitation and processing of iron ore.
— VIETNAMNET Bridge
See here for more of today’s Lao Morning News
Malaysia Morning News
Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1
Malaysia eyes Hyderabad airport to tap on tourism prospects
Malaysian Tourism, which has seen 6.35 lakh tourists from various places across India, now wants to attain the one million mark soon, making use of the ‘catchment’ area of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Shamshabad) and taking up promotional activities to attract the discerning travellers looking for religious places, rain forests, beaches or just for shopping.
— The Hindu
TDA invests RM2.5 million to acquire new tech for railway sector
The Technology Depository Agency (TDA), an agency under the Ministry of Finance, has invested RM2.5 million to acquire an ontrack machinery, the 09-3D Tamping Simulator and an automatic guiding computer simulator from TWA (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
— The Borneo Post
Sabah govt stands firm on making Airbnb illegal
Airbnb is an online platform that allows users to book or lease out residential properties for short period stay.
— New Straits Times
See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News
Myanmar Morning News
Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1
Russia denies planning to block UNSC resolution on Myanmar
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied media reports that Russia planned to block a draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Myanmar.
— New China
Is the world getting Myanmar wrong?
IN THE bonfire of liberal certainties, Myanmar makes for an especially painful case. Only two years ago the world celebrated as a land long covered by darkness emerged from brutal army rule. In a jubilant election the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept nearly all before it. The party’s revered leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, took over from the same generals who had imprisoned her or kept her under house arrest for nearly two decades.
— The Economist
U.N. rejects Myanmar claim that it agreed to help build housing for refugees
A UN settlement program, UN-Habitat in Myanmar, on Thursday rejected a state media report that it had agreed to help build housing for people fleeing violence in the northern Myanmar state of Rakhine, where an army operation has displaced hundreds of thousands.
— Reuters
See here for more of today’s Myanmar Morning News
Philippines Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
PH targets 20K MW RE capacity by 2040
The Philippines’ roadmap on renewable energy (RE) targets a capacity of around 20,000 megawatts by 2040, according to Benito Ranque, undersecretary of the department of energy.
— Malaya
Manila ranks 32nd among top container ports
The Port of Manila outperformed other ports in Asia as it leaped four notches higher finishing at 32nd spot in the list of the 2016 top 100 container ports worldwide, according to the Lloyd’s List.
— Malaya
Human trafficking victims down in 2016
The number of victims of human trafficking dropped by 22.39 percent in 2016, the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) said yesterday.
— Philstar
See here for more of today’s Philippines Morning News
Singapore Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Another star showing by electronics likely to upgrade Q3 GDP growth
THE predicted slowdown of Singapore’s manufacturing output has not come in as sharply as economists feared for the month of September, as the electronics cluster continued to power ahead with double-digit growth.
— The Business Times
Singapore reinvents itself as Asia’s fintech hub
REMITTANCES to developing nations by migrants working abroad have long been an important lifeline for these countries. In Asean, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, remittances have contributed to the ongoing economic development and alleviation of poverty in the regional group.
— The Business Times
Singapore a top travel spot for Muslim millennials
Singapore is the sixth most popular travel destination for Muslim millennials, according to findings of a study released yesterday.
— The Straits times (paywall)
See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News
Thailand Morning News
Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ
King presides over royal cremation
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun on Thursday (Oct 26) presided over the royal cremation ceremony for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang attended by members of royal families from 16 countries and guests of distinction from various countries as well as tens of thousand of Thai people at the ceremonial ground.
— Thai PBS
Bangladesh to import 150,000 tons parboiled rice from Thailand
The government has decided to import 150,000 tons of parboiled rice from Thailand, and procure another 100,000 tons from local traders at a total cost of Tk1017.14cr to boost domestic food grain reserves.
— Dhaka Tribune
Economic Watch: Brisk tourism, trade cement China-Thailand ties
For those living in the drier parts of inland China, spending more than 10 hours on flights for a subtropical seaside vacation in Thailand is becoming a thing of the past.
— Xinhuanet
See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News
Vietnam Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Becoming a smart city will fix HCM City’s problems: official
HCM City would be able to cope with the many challenges caused by the rapid increase in its migrant population when becoming a smart city, a conference heard on Wednesday.
— Bizhub
Agro-forestry-fishery exports to hit nearly 30 bln USD in 10 months
Export turnover of agro-forestry-aquatic products is expected to reach 2.74 billion USD in October, bringing the ten-month figure to nearly 29.76 billion USD, up 12.7 percent year-on-year.
— VietnamPlus
Vingroup’s retail unit to list shares on Nov 6
Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup’s retail property business has been granted approval to list its shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on November 6, a listing document showed on Thursday.
— Reuters
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.
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