ASEAN News

ASEAN – Singapore hosts Shangri-La Dialog, an annual rally of senior defense officers across Asia and beyond.  This dialogue, the largest  gathering of senior military officials in Asia, is not actually hosted by the Government of Singapore. Rather, the event is hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, an independent think tank. However, the Government of Singapore is helping …

Beijing – On Wednesday, June 15, President Xi Jinping assured Vladimir Putin of China’s support for Russian “sovereignty and security.” This prompted Washington to warn Beijing that they risked ending up “on the wrong side of history.” China has declined to denounce Russia’s unprecedented military assault on Ukraine and has been accused of providing diplomatic cover for Moscow by criticizing …

ASEAN – Despite having the third biggest increase in the external debt ratio among five Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines still maintains the lowest ratio of foreign debt to domestic production. According to a research from the Department of Finance’s senior economist Gil Beltran, the Philippines has the lowest foreign debt as a percentage of GDP (27%) among ASEAN nations …

ASEAN– Kim Pan Gon, Malaysia’s national head coach, has characterized himself as a’small’ coach after his team ended a 42-year struggle to qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup on merit last night. Pan Gon said that the Harimau Malaya squad’s historic victory was not due to him alone, but rather to all parties’ support in growing the country’s football. “I’m …

Thailand – Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest child, is now throwing herself into the country’s profoundly divided political scene ahead of a national election scheduled for March 2023. She boasts half a million Instagram followers, lives a lavish lifestyle, and describes herself as the “little girl” of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the country’s most powerful and controversial …

Indonesia – Indonesia’s agriculture ministry announced on Monday that a statewide livestock vaccination program will begin this week, after the number of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease surpassed 151,000. Some vaccines came on Sunday, and another 800,000 doses will come soon, according to ministry spokesperson Kuntoro Boga Andri. He didn’t specify how many immunizations had been delivered thus …

Asean – Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg warned the state can’t rely too much on Indonesian workers. He added this is because Indonesia is also developing and needs labor, especially with the capital’s shift to Nusantara. “Many projects have been authorized, but when they’re implemented, prices rise and jobs go. Even the Pan Borneo …

ASEAN – Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom stated today that their 51-year-old Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) treaty was robust, current, and critical to managing increasing regional tensions. Following their discussion on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the officials told a press conference that the member states’ relationship was friendly, and that they were focused …

ASEAN – This weekend, most inhabitants in China’s economic capital of Shanghai will be subjected to an unexpected round of Covid-19 testing, only 10 days after a city-wide lockdown was lifted, disturbing citizens and raising fears about the effect on business. Shanghai authorities said on Thursday that owing to the identification of a few cases in the neighborhood, seven of …

ASEAN – According to Malay Mail, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the ruler of Selangor, has issued a proclamation stating that the Bon Odori festival would take place in July as scheduled. This comes after the Minister of Religious Affairs, Datuk Idris Ahmad, said that Muslims should not participate in the Japanese festivities. He based his statement on the fact that …