Pheu Thai asks govt to refrain from transferring officials

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PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 10:46

Pheu Thai asks govt to refrain from transferring officials
Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpatarasill)

The caretaker government should maintain the traditional code of ethics and strictly comply with the constitution by not transferring any of the high-level officials, particularly permanent secretaries for various ministries, while a new government is in the process of taking over the country’s administration, Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai said in his statement issued on Friday.

He reminds the caretaker government under Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha that it is duty-bound to follow the constitution, which prohibits it from approving any project that could create a tie-over responsibility for the new government as well as from transferring or appointing high-level officials. Doing so may affect the new government’s efforts to implement its policies, he said.

It would not be reasonable to claim that they are near to mandatory retirements, as it is not yet the end of the fiscal year, he added.

Mr Phumtham said it is necessary for the new government to implement its policies which have been presented to the people, starting from the first day of it taking office. Government officials, he said, are important mechanisms to steer the policies into actual practice, especially the country’s economic problems involving all business groups that must be quickly dealt with.

The permanent secretaries for all ministries, in particular, are most important mechanisms for the new government’s administration, he said.

To all permanent secretaries, Mr Phumtham said: “In order for the new government to quickly achieve its objectives, it is necessary that you delay appointments of high-level officials during this time and wait for the new government to come with new policies.”

Pheu Thai is currently acting as the core for the formation of a new government, after the May 14 general election winner Move Forward Party’s nomination of Pita Limjaroenrat for the post of prime minister failed to get parliamentary endorsement.

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LTA to trial microwave-based ‘touchless buttons’ at 4 pedestrian crossings

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SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will progressively roll out new “touchless push buttons” at four pedestrian crossings, as part of a trial to assess to use of contactless sensors.

Instead of pushing a button to activate the green man, pedestrians at these crossings will only have to wave. These microwave-based sensors will then activate the green man. 

The trial will take place over the next six months, said LTA in a Facebook post on Thursday (Aug 10).

The locations are: Serangoon Road near the Kallang Park Connector, Fernvale Lane near Fernvale Primary School, Bukit Batok Street 31 near Dazhong Primary School and Circuit Road near the hawker centre.

LTA’s social media post was accompanied by a 14-second video showing how the sensor works. 

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China’s game of Ukrainian chess

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Last weekend, Saudi Arabia hosted a two-day summit in Jeddah dedicated to ending the war in Ukraine. Nearly 40 countries attended, including the United States, India, and dozens across Europe. But it was the presence of one nation that raised expectations for a breakthrough – China.

Because China had rejected a similar meeting in Copenhagen in late June, many interpreted its participation this time as evidence Beijing was ready to play a more active role. But an examination of the context surrounding the Jeddah summit suggests a different motivation for China’s involvement. Simply put, peace wasn’t Beijing’s primary concern.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022, Beijing has avoided anything that would compromise its neutrality or force it explicitly to take a side. This principle of neutrality made it impossible for China to attend the June meeting, given that Denmark is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 

Also read: The reality of China’s influence in the Middle East

Although NATO isn’t directly at war with Russia, its military support to Ukraine gives the Kremlin ammunition to claim NATO involvement. For China, attending the Copenhagen meeting without Russian participation would have tarnished Beijing’s image of objectivity.

By comparison, Saudi Arabia, one of the leading middle powers in the Global South, was a more acceptable host from the Chinese perspective.

Saudi Arabia has voted in favor of several UN General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia and demanding an end to the war. But it also abstained from a 2022 vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, and the two countries have been on a more coordinated path recently over oil production and global crude-oil supply.

This more nuanced position has made the kingdom a more natural partner for Beijing. 

But image concerns aside, what’s driving China’s involvement now? 

Importance of China-Saudi ties

For starters, participating in the Jeddah summit was more about China’s desire to continue sweetening ties with Saudi Arabia than any intention to condemn or force Russia’s hand in Ukraine.

China and Saudi Arabia have an important bilateral relationship driven by politics, energy and trade. Thus Chinese leaders believe they can endear themselves to the kingdom by supporting Riyadh’s diplomatic efforts on Ukraine.

Even if that calculation is wrong, attending talks costs China nothing. A summit is only an agreement to discuss, not a pact to act. Even if a consensus among participating countries had been reached – it wasn’t – neither Saudi Arabia nor its guests could have imposed their will on Russia (which was excluded from the discussion).

In that sense, the Jeddah summit positions Saudi Arabia as a peace mediator but doesn’t bring fundamental damage to China’s bottom line. 

For Beijing, any “neutral” efforts to pursue peace and stability must be honored. This month’s summit could be framed as one such effort given the diverse participation and views represented. Now that China has lent its support to the Saudi endeavor, it wouldn’t be surprising for Beijing to demand reciprocity from Riyadh for its own peace initiative down the road.

Second, China’s participation in peace talks was facilitated by a recent thaw in the US-China relationship. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit San Francisco in November, which would be one of his most important foreign-policy activities of the year. The two countries are trying to rebuild bilateral relations before expected turbulence in 2024, when presidential elections will be held in both Taiwan and the US. 

Finally, Beijing has been a bit more cooperative with the West’s efforts to squeeze Russia over its conduct in Ukraine. Recent moves in this regard are subtle but clear. In July, Beijing imposed new export control measures on Chinese drones, parts and technologies, dual-use supplies that Russia had been receiving from China directly or via subsidiaries in Iran. 

In a thinly veiled criticism of Russia, China also urged the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine after Moscow backed out of the Black Sea grain deal, which had allowed Ukraine to export wheat, barley, and other staples.

Most recently, in a rare public display of displeasure, the Chinese Embassy in Russia criticized local authorities for mistreating Chinese citizens. 

The key question in all of this is whether China has fundamentally changed its position on the war. The answer, so far, is no. None of the actions China has taken in recent months have imposed critical damage on Russia’s war capability or induced meaningful changes to Russian behavior. 

In fact, given the long-term nature of US-China competition, Beijing is unlikely to abandon Moscow as a strategic partner, even if Russia is weakened in Ukraine. For China, Ukraine – and even Saudi Arabia – is part of a grand political chess match that Beijing has no intention of losing.

This article was provided by Syndication Bureau, which holds copyright.

Yun Sun is director of the China program and co-director of the East Asia program at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC. 

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China property giant Country Garden warns of up to .6bn loss

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The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai.Reuters
By Peter Hoskins
Business reporter

Country Garden, which is one of China’s biggest property developers, has warned that it could see a loss for the first six months of the year of up to $7.6bn (£6bn).

The announcement is the latest signal of the major issues faced by the world’s second largest economy.

This week official figures showed China had slipped into deflation for the first time in more than two years.

Exports have also fallen sharply, while youth unemployment is at a record high.

Country Garden Group “is expected to record a net loss ranging from approximately RMB45 billion [$6.24bn; £4.9bn] to RMB55 billion for the six months ended 30 June 2023,” the company said in an announcement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The expected loss compares to a $265m profit for the same time last year.

The firm also said it has set up a special task force, headed by its chairman Yang Huiyan, to find ways to turn the business around.

Earlier on Thursday, rating agency Moody’s downgraded the company’s rating, citing “heightened liquidity and refinancing risks”.

It came as China faced a number of economic challenges, which have raised questions about the pace of its post-pandemic recovery.

Earlier this week, official figures showed the country’s exports fell by a larger-than-expected 14.5% in July compared with a year earlier, while imports dropped 12.4%.

Youth unemployment, which is at a record high, is also being closely watched as a record 11.58 million university graduates are expected to enter the job market this year.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden said China’s growing economic issues make it a “ticking time bomb.”

At a fundraising event in the western state of Utah, Mr Biden also said “China is in trouble” as he highlighted its high unemployment and aging workforce.

The country is also tackling ballooning local government debt and challenges in the housing market.

Last month, Evergrande, which was once China’s biggest real estate firm, revealed that in 2021 and 2022 it lost a combined $81.1bn.

The firm, which defaulted on its debts in late-2021, reported its long overdue earnings to investors.

Evergrande has been struggling with an estimated $300bn of debts.

The huge losses highlight how much the developer was rocked in recent years by the property market crisis in China.

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Govt parties ‘to make way’ for Democrats in Rayong poll

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Partners are aiming not to split vote

PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 08:05

Govt parties 'to make way' for Democrats in Rayong poll
Acting deputy Democrat leader Sathit Pitutecha takes selfie with supporters during a campaign rally in Mae Sariang district of Mae Hong Son province on March 9. (Photo: Sathit Pitutecha Facebook)

Parties in the outgoing coalition government have agreed not to field their own candidates against a Democrat Party candidate in the upcoming by-election in Rayong’s Constituency 3, acting deputy Democrat leader Sathit Pitutecha said.

He said all the parties except the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) had discussed the implications of the election outcome and decided that only one of them should enter the race to avoid splitting votes.

The by-election is to fill a seat left vacant by Nakhon­chai Khunnarong of the Move Forward Party (MFP), who resigned due to a past conviction and prison term for theft.

In the May 14 general election, Mr Nakhonchai won with 29,034 votes, followed by Phayap Phongsai of the PPRP, who received 21,726 votes and Democrat candidate Banyat Jetjan who had 14,668 votes.

Mr Sathit, a former MP for Rayong, said the party had given him the authority to select the candidate to contest the by-election.

He said he has yet to decide who will represent the party as it is important to weigh voters’ opinions. “If we look at the combined number of votes received by the outgoing coalition parties, it’s more than that of the MFP.

“But it all depends on what the voters here want. I hope that in this by-election, they go for someone who is trustworthy and knows how to do the job,” he said.

MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said the party looking at potential candidates with a plan to introduce a potential candidate to voters in Klaeng district on Sunday.

He said that he and MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat would take part in the event to give the candidate moral support and to affirm the party’s commitment to its supporters. The MFP, which won all five constituency seats in Rayong in the general election, reportedly plans to nominate Pongsathorn Sornphetnarin for the by-election.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission’s (EC) intention to hold the by-election has been published in the Royal Gazette.

EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said commissioners are expected to decide today when it will take place, having initially proposed that it be held on Sept 10, with candidacy registration taking place between Aug 15-19.

Regarding legal action against Mr Nakhon­chai, Mr Ittiporn said the Office of the EC will proceed in accordance with the law and can also sue the politician.

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Pattaya considers beach operating hours

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PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 07:20

Pattaya considers beach operating hours
People sit and unwind one evening on a beach in Pattaya. Pattaya City is looking to impose opening hours on beaches to curb noisy night owls who often party until morning. (Photo: Pattaya City Facebook Page)

Pattaya City is considering imposing opening hours on its beaches to curb a growing number of noisy night owls who party into the morning.

The city has received an increasing number of complaints about the nighttime visitors who like to play loud music using portable speakers while drinking alcohol and partying on Pattaya’s popular beaches, Wutthisak Roemkitchakan, the deputy city mayor, said on Thursday.

A number of these visitors continue drinking and partying and refuse to leave even when city rubbish collectors show up in the morning to clean the beaches, he said.

This results in the beaches being left littered with rubbish the following day, he said.

“The city now is thinking of imposing opening and closing hours on these beaches as this can be a solution to the problem,” he said.

Currently, the city does not have regulations on the opening and closing time of its beaches, meaning they are open around the clock, he said.

The city previously tried to step up patrols on the beaches, but it was impossible to find enough security officers to do so every night, he said.

The city’s beaches have attracted more visitors since undergoing a major expansion and renovation, he said.

Normally, these beaches do not have many visitors on weekdays, and most of them leave early in the evening, he said.

However, the number of visitors is usually much higher on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with many who like to drink alcohol and party late into the night, he said, adding that all city authorities can currently do is ask for their cooperation to leave.

Complaints received by the city authorities also noted loud noises made by a number of nightclubs, most of which were open-air places on beaches, he said.

In response to these complaints, he said, the Pattaya municipality and Bang Lamung district authorities inspected these night entertainment establishments and asked them to control the volume of their music.

Officials recommended a few measures, including building a proper sound-proof room for guests, he said.

More measures will be jointly implemented with local police to curb the noise pollution in Pattaya, he said.

In other news, Pipit Rattanarak, a United Thai Nation Party MP for Surat Thani, voiced his concern over shortage problems being faced on the popular islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in the South.

Speaking during a House meeting on Thursday, Mr Pipit pointed to the need for all agencies to boost the handling of transport services, as well as water and electricity supplies on the islands. More measures are required as the islands are receiving a rising number of visitors, he said.

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Singapore narrows 2023 growth forecast range to 0.5-1.5%, as external demand outlook remains weak

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SINGAPORE: Singapore has trimmed its growth forecast for 2023 amid expectations for demand from key external economies to remain weak ahead.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday (Aug 11) that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for this year is now expected to come in between 0.5 to 1.5 per cent, narrowing from the previous 0.5 to 2.5 per cent range.

The decision comes alongside data showing the economy growing by 0.5 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter.

This is a notch below the advance estimate of 0.7 per cent, but slightly advancing from the 0.4 per cent growth in the first quarter.

On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, Singapore’s economy expanded marginally by 0.1 per cent between April and June. This marked a reversal from a 0.4 per cent contraction in the first quarter but underperforming the advance forecast of 0.3 per cent.

For the first half of the year, Singapore’s GDP growth averaged 0.4 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

“WEAK” EXTERNAL DEMAND FOR REST OF 2023

In its quarterly assessment, MTI said it sees a “weak” external demand outlook for the rest of the year.

Apart from the expected slowdown in Singapore’s key external demand markets, the downturn in the global electronics sector will also likely be protracted with a gradual recovery happening only “towards the end of the year at the earliest”, it said.

At the same time, there remain downside risks in the global economy. 

These include more persistent-than-expected inflation in the advanced economies which could induce tighter global financial conditions and in turn lead to a sharper pullback in global spending and worsen the ongoing manufacturing downturn. 

Escalations in the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions among major global powers also add to the risk of renewed supply disruptions, dampen consumer and business confidence, as well as weigh on global trade. 

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