Asean
Asean, China to strengthen Free-Trade Agreement (FTA)
Asean and Chinese leaders will ink two agreements facilitating trade growth between the two sides under the Asean-China Free-Trade Agree-ment (FTA) at their bilateral summit this month.
Asean and Chinese leaders will ink two agreements facilitating trade growth between the two sides under the Asean-China Free-Trade Agree-ment (FTA) at their bilateral summit this month.
The two sides’ leaders are scheduled to meet on November 18 in Cambodia during a summit of the Asean leaders plus those of six partner countries.
Commerce Ministry Inspector-General Boonyarit Kalayanamit said that trade and investment between Asean and China should grow following the recent agreement of both sides to eliminate technical trade barriers.
The first agreement to be signed by Asean and China would eliminate technical trade barriers and sanitary and phytosanitary (animal and plant health) standards. The second would support free trade by giving officials more flexibility in drawing up rules to facilitate business growth between Asean and China.
Asean
The Latest on Covid-19 in Southeast Asia
Thailand has largely avoided widespread community transmission of Covid-19, but the kingdom is not faring well on the economic front, with a projected contraction of 7.1 percent this year.
As a region, Southeast Asia has fared relatively well in keeping coronavirus cases low, with the notable exceptions of the Philippines and Indonesia.
(more…)Laos
China’s debt-trap diplomacy: Laos’ credit rating downgraded to CCC
Laos’ debt challenge is deeply concerning, with some media commentators suggesting the country is falling into a debt trap as a result of Chinese infrastructure investments connected to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
On 23 September, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Laos’ credit rating to CCC — the second downgrade in 2020, having dropped to B- in May.
(more…)Vietnam
Foreign capital still heads to Vietnam
As many as 798 projects added a combined over 5.11 billion USD to their investment capital, down 23 percent year-on-year in project number but up 6.8 percent in value.
Hanoi (VNA) – The total amount of foreign investment poured into Vietnam this year to September 20 reached 21.2 billion USD, equivalent to 81.8 percent of the same period last year, reported the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
(more…)
How Asia Pacific can turn COVID crisis into an opportunity
Bold policies needed to boost economic recovery and improve social stability
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