Commentary: How China can reassure nervous foreign investors before it’s too late

By:
On:
In: Asia

HONG KONG: Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, the presidents of China and the US, appear set to meet in San Francisco later this month. They will undoubtedly concentrate on the Taiwan issue, which poses the biggest threat to a stable US-China relationship, but managing the” securitization” of the two countries’ economic ties should also be their top priority.

Since the Trump administration started the trade conflict in 2018, Beijing has accused Washington of exaggerating worries about the safety implications of their financial relations. It has been turned into a device conflict by Biden’s administration in an effort to impede Chinese advancement in cutting-edge technology.

In the name of regional security, Washington seems to” securitize” virtually every aspect of economic ties, from industry and technologies to purchase. Due to its Chinese ownership, TikTok, a platform for sharing little videos, is being scrutinized more closely. Security concerns have even been raised regarding Chinese-made energy buses operating in US cities.

Beijing portrays itself as the hurt party and insists that the US is solely to blame for the relationship’s problems.

Beijing’s assertion, however, is false, to put it mildly.

In response to Washington’s actions, Beijing is also active” securitizing” US-related trade and investment issues. This is consistent with Beijing’s significant transition away from growth and toward security. The most recent instances include unexpected and poorly explained raids and arrests involving Foxconn, a Taiwanese Apple provider, as well as some American agencies and other businesses.

Such behavior run counter to its stated objective of allowing more foreign investment and trade, which scares away US and international investors.

In other words, while US actions merely target and influence Chinese trade and assets, China’s actions are alarming traders all over the world. The Taiwanese government needs to review its safeguards urgently in order to revitalize an economy that has been severely impacted by three years of zero-COVID settings.

Continue Reading

Commentary: Concerns over China-backed high-speed railway do not derail Indonesia’s agency

By:
On:
In: Asia

However, China was not the only nation to provide funding for this endeavor. The Jakarta – Bandung high-speed railway’s financing was initially a contest between China and Japan. A chance to enhance inter-city communication was suggested in the form of the Bandung-Javanese high-speed railway after Japan’s victory in addressing Jakartas population density problem by building the Jakarta Mass Rail Transit System during the 2000s.

Both China and Japan made a charge in 2015. The main factor in Japan’s rejection of the Chinese play was its emphasis on a payment guarantee from the Malaysian authorities, even though there were additional benefits, such as an offer of technology transfer. This demonstrates Indonesia’s efforts to uphold its reign.

Indonesia insisted it may demand the same of China after rejecting Japan’s play on these grounds. Beijing, but, responded harshly when Jakarta asked it to pay the budget surplus, putting a strain on the once-strong economic ties between Indonesia and China.

Chinese companies like Alibaba Cloud first showed interest in similar large infrastructure projects, such as Nusantara, the ambitious project by Indonesian President Joko Widodok to relocate the nation’s capital to East Kalimantan, but these projects ultimately fell through.

Firm IN SOUTHEAST Eastern COUNTRIES

However, the high-speed rail project has shown that Indonesia is determined to keep its agency in charge of such initiatives, as evidenced by the fact that it chose to cover the flooded costs out of its own budget. Despite the promise of significant equipment investments from China, there is a growing trend of nations in Southeast Asia following suit.

Related problems have been encountered with the Export-Import Bank of China-funded East Coast Rail Link in Malaysia. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad renegotiated the project, which had been stalled since 2016 with an initial estimated price of$ 16 billion, to$ 11 billion and a favorable deal for Malay staff in order to make the investment between Malaysia and China more just.

Continue Reading

Commentary: Gibran’s VP run may be the biggest gamble for Prabowo – and outgoing Indonesian President Jokowi

By:
On:
In: Asia

Mr. Jokowi’s camp seems to be aware of this: PSI recently launched a forceful” Jokowo – philosophy” campaign that prominently featured the names and faces of Mrs. Widod, Pangarep, and Raka on occasion. This highlights their efforts to capitalize on the priest’s recognition and win over voters.

A CAREFUL VICE PRESIDENT?

Even if the couple succeeds in overcoming these obstacles during the campaign, they may still encounter additional governance difficulties. Does the powerful PDI-P support Mr. Subianto’s alliance in his goals?

If this was merely a marriage of convenience, it’s also possible that Mr. Subianto was remove Mr Raka from his position as vice president, which has no real legal authority until appointed by the president.

His latest stance toward Mr. Jokowi could be viewed as one: After his defeat in 2019 and his appointment as defense minister in an effort to promote national unity following a contentious election that saw demonstrations against the results turn deadly, M. Subianto was appointed.

If the PSI, the group headed by Mr. Jokowi’s youngest brother, is unable to win seats in the House of Representatives, he might not have much of an impact. PSI currently lacks political representation because it received just 1.89 percent of the total nationwide vote in 2019, which is less than the 4 % required to allocate seats in the legislature.

The gap between Mr. Jokowi and PDI-P, the political party that first propelled him, his son, and son-in-law to their present positions, may also become unbridgeable.

Both Mr. Subianto and M. Jokowi may be seriously at risk if they decide to run for girlfriend and vice president alongside Raka.

At the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Made Supriatma is a visiting companion for the Indonesia Studies Program.

Continue Reading

Commentary: Tokyo’s Shibuya wants to cancel Halloween. That’s a mistake

By:
On:
In: Asia

HOW HALLOWEEN TOOK OFF IN JAPAN

Halloween is a recent invention in this part of the world. When I first came to Japan more than 20 years ago, few had even heard of it; pumpkins were for eating, not for decorating. A parade at Tokyo Disneyland, started in 1997, is often credited with popularising the celebration, giving partiers a reason to dress up.

Around 2011, young people in costumes began to assemble in Shibuya in the hundreds, and then the thousands, as Halloween approached. While overseas it might be considered more of an event for kids, in Japan it became something for university students and other young people, who drank in the streets while stumbling from bar to bar.

Why it took off when it did is a matter of debate. Some cite the rise of Facebook and Twitter, which grew in popularity in the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011 and the release of the movie The Social Network that same year. Others cite the Harajuku icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s song Fashion Monster, released in 2012, whose music video features a Halloween party.  

Regardless, Shibuya was at the centre. And initially, authorities were on board: For several years in the mid-2010s, the city blocked off the main thoroughfare of Dogenzaka on multiple nights, freeing up the city centre to cosplaying pedestrians.

As a long-term resident of the area, there was something quite heartwarming about watching the event grow organically. Tokyoites don’t tend to interact much with strangers compared with, say, locals in Osaka; to see the one night a year when a group of costumed Super Marios could encounter a completely unfamiliar group of Luigis – and instantly become friends – was faintly magical. 

But as the number of attendees peaked pre-pandemic, Shibuya began to lose patience. Bad press circulated when a small truck was overturned in 2018; the media highlighted reports of sexual harassment and other assaults, though serious incidents were limited. 

Hasebe, the mayor, says the quality of the event has declined, even as the number of people increased to some 40,000 in 2019, with fewer attendees dressing up in costume, and more coming to gawk at (or ogle) those who did. That year, in an attempt to limit rambunctiousness, the city began asking stores to stop selling alcohol; drinking in the streets is perfectly legal in Japan, though Shibuya has passed a rather powerless local ordinance that limits it around Halloween and New Year’s Eve. 

Continue Reading

Commentary: Parents, don’t mistake dyslexia for a vision problem

By:
On:
In: Asia

SUPPORT TO STAY IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS

With appropriate intervention and support, many can remain in mainstream education. Helping them cope might require teachers with appropriate training and other reasonable accommodations, such as assistive technology or extra time for examinations.

But since dyslexia is characterised by deficits in speech production, phonology education is crucial, said chartered educational psychologist Tan Cheng Yi. After-school interventional classes can help dyslexic individuals recognise language patterns and are customised for each child, according to language therapist Dr Choy.

There are varied programmes of instructions, several of which are influenced by the Orton-Gillingham approach developed in the 1930s, though studies are mixed as to their effectiveness. More high-quality, rigorous research with larger samples of students is needed to fully understand the effects of Orton-Gillingham interventions.

According to the Mayo Clinic, multi-sensory teaching – involving sight, sound, movement and touch – is considered the gold standard for teaching children with dyslexia to read. Educational psychologist Ms Tan suggested activities such as singing the alphabet to help children associate letters with sounds.

For those who cannot grasp phonics, she suggested using the whole-word approach. The approach teaches children to read by sight, by recognising and remembering the shapes of the entire words, rather than individual letters, and pair the words with images or sounds.

Continue Reading

Commentary: Can Thailand effectively balance its relations with China and the US?

By:
On:
In: Asia

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER?

China and Thailand have a long history of close economic ties, with diplomatic relations dating back to July 1975.

During Mr Srettha’s recent trip to China, Thailand signed a slew of bilateral agreements covering various sectors, including infrastructure, trade and cultural exchanges.

One of the key outcomes of the visit was the focus on green initiatives and high-speed rail projects.

Thailand’s commitment to environmental conservation is evident, and the country seeks Chinese investments to realise these goals. China’s experience in high-speed rail development makes it a valuable partner for Thailand’s ambitious rail projects.

The positive aspects of this close relationship with China are clear. Chinese investments in Thailand’s green initiatives can significantly speed up the country’s transition to a more sustainable and eco-friendly economy, reducing carbon emissions and preserving Thailand’s natural beauty and resources.

Furthermore, support for high-speed rail projects is crucial for enhancing Thailand’s infrastructure, connectivity and transportation network. Efficient rail systems can boost economic development, improve logistics and stimulate both domestic and international trade.

While China and Thailand may resemble brothers in the context of international diplomacy, siblings can sometimes have complex relationships. The strengthened partnership with China is not without its challenges.

Mr Srettha has made it clear that Thailand’s economy needs a significant boost to increase growth, alleviate household debt and improve livelihoods. The economy grew just 1.8 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier, while household debt has risen to 90.6 per cent of gross domestic product.

China’s economy is also under pressure, with a range of challenges from a property crisis, high youth unemployment and US-China tensions over trade. Its own economic slowdown might hinder its ability to invest as robustly as anticipated. As China is one of Thailand’s major trade and investment partners, its economic health directly affects Thailand. A slowdown in China could have adverse effects on the Thai economy, leading to reduced exports and potentially impacting the livelihoods of the Thai people.

Additionally, Thailand’s closer alignment with China might raise concerns in the United States, a key ally and trading partner. The US is keen on maintaining its influence in the region, and Thailand’s growing ties with China could be viewed with suspicion. Managing this can be particularly challenging against the backdrop of strategic competition in US-China relations.

Continue Reading

Commentary: His son’s election run could tarnish Jokowi’s legacy

By:
On:
In: Asia

On Monday, the Constitutional Court established a probe into the Oct 16 decision following seven petitions demanding an investigation. This will be conducted by an ethics council, consisting of a court justice and two outside legal authorities, which may not overturn the ruling but it could recommend dismissal of any justice for unethical behaviour.

On the same day, a civil society group TPDI reported Mr Jokowi, Mr Anwar Usman, Mr Raka, and Jokowi’s second son, Mr Kaesang Pangarep, to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for alleged collusion and nepotism in the Constitutional Court’s Oct 16 ruling. Mr Pangarep, 27, chairs the Solidarity Party of Indonesia that engages young people, and the party has endorsed the Subianto-Raka ticket, making it a nine-party coalition.

Asked about the complaint against him, Mr Raka simply replied, “Let the KPK follow it up.”

But the apparent nonchalance could mask trouble for Mr Raka. His party, PDI-P, gave him the platform to become a city mayor. Mr Subianto, meantime, heads his own party, Gerindra. It is far from clear whether PDI-P and its influential chief in former president Megawati Sukarnoputri will be keen for any relationship – or whether Mr Raka will be regarded as disloyal.

On Thursday evening, a PDI-P official said Mr Raka’s membership “in de facto terms” ended with his registration as a candidate for another party. This could potentially split support for PDI-P’s own presidential hopeful, former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo.

There is a strong “ProJo” (pro-Jokowi) body of supporters that campaigned for Jokowi in 2014 and 2019 and have since vocally supported Mr Subianto. The third presidential candidate trailing behind Mr Subianto and Mr Pranowo in polling is past Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.

Continue Reading

Snap Insight: How will the Johor sultan serve Malaysia as its next king?

By:
On:
In: Asia

What we do know is that Sultan Ibrahim strongly believes in multiculturalism. He has made it clear many times in Johor, that he treats all his subjects as Bangsa Johor – an inclusive Johorean identity – and that he does not like the racial polarisation of Malaysian politics.

In one famous incident in 2017, he reprimanded a Johor laundry operator for a signboard limiting its services to only Muslims, warning business owners with blatant discriminatory practices that their licences may be revoked. “Don’t mess around with your narrow-minded religious prejudices,” he said at the time.

The new Queen, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah, is someone who shares her husband’s belief in Bangsa Johor and multicultural Malaysia. Many may not know that she graduated from Oxford University with a major in Chinese Studies.

SAGE ADVICE AND WISE COUNSEL

Although Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, the sultans are powerful in their own right. As Johor ruler, Sultan Ibrahim is already part of the constitutional body called the Conference of Rulers which is the final arbiter of anything to do with Islam and Malay adat (customs and traditions), including federal laws.

A new role he will take on is to provide the prime minister with advice and counsel. As a tradition inherited from the British, the prime minister regularly meets with the Agong when Cabinet is in session to brief him on all government policies.

The Agong will provide his views on government policy – widely seen to be a non-partisan and non-political view – which will be taken into account by the prime minister. Retired British prime ministers have said that the advice given by the late Queen Elizabeth II was very important in how they made their decisions. There is no reason to think it will be different in Malaysia’s case.

Continue Reading

Commentary: The challenge for Malaysia opposition party PAS in going mainstream

By:
On:
In: Asia

REFORMS A WORK IN PROGRESS

In his writings and speeches, Abdul Hadi has been critical of secularism and liberalism. PAS is arguably the strongest party in the country after solid victories in the November 2022 general election (GE15) and August 2023 state elections.

It now holds the largest party block in Parliament with 42 seats out of 222 (originally 43, before Election Commission nullified the Kemaman seat in Terengganu). Its presence in Parliament is even bigger than Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadlian Rakyat (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the other older and bigger parties in Malaysia.

In the state elections in August, PAS won 126 out of 245 seats it contested, making it the best performing party. It is now in control of Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, and Perlis. However, it struggled to garner votes from non-Malays and urban Malays.

As solid as PAS’ recent political gains, the question is whether an old warhorse like Abdul Hadi would be the stumbling block for PAS to make further electoral gains. To be sure, he may have put in place the ingredients for a progressive-Islamist PAS in future.

In his speech, Abdul Hadi reiterated his right to articulate the so-called 3R issues: Race, religion and royalty. On the other hand, the unity government has signalled it would not tolerate those who polarises the country. Abdul Hadi has been questioned several times by the police for sedition.

His recent comments on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza may further alienate the more moderate Muslims (or Malaysians). It is understandable that he sympathises with the Palestinians in Gaza, given Malaysia’s political climate and that Kuala Lumpur does not have any diplomatic ties with Israel.

But he has inaccurately described the militant Hamas’ behaviour against Israel as legitimate in the eyes of Islam. He could have unequivocally condemned the loss of any innocent lives, both Palestinians and Israelis, while being more sympathetic to the former in the name of Muslim solidarity.

Continue Reading

Commentary: Wanted – 80-year-old taxi drivers to ease Japan’s labour crunch

By:
On:
In: Asia

The longtime Japan watcher and economist Jesper Koll sees the shortage leading to a new “golden age” in which full-time jobs replace irregular youth employment, with wage increases and opportunities accruing to the younger generation. 

Junichi Makino, the chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc, expects the higher labour costs that will inevitably result to spur company investment in raising Japan’s unusually low labour productivity and lift economic growth. 

“Over the past 20 years, economic actors in Japan have moved to reduce wages and employment and curb capex amid a deflationary environment,” Makino writes. “From here though, Japan is set for a macro environment of insufficient supply, which will require more capex to bridge the gap, and we expect this to be an engine for economic growth to accelerate again.”

SUPPLEMENTING WITH FOREIGN WORKERS AND TECH

That optimistic outcome depends on the country finding solutions.

One of the most pressing issues is what’s being referred to as the “2024 Problem” – a looming logistics crisis that could hit next year, when regulations limiting overtime hours in the already stretched trucking industry will come into effect. Estimates say it could result in a 14 per cent drop in transportable cargo by 2025, ballooning to 34 per cent by 2030.

The government is scrambling for solutions, including cutting wasteful journeys by encouraging customers to avoid deliveries when no one is home.

Everything is on the table: The types of jobs that the country’s increasing number of foreign workers can take are being expanded, with bus drivers possibly next to be added. Self-driving cars and other automated solutions are being proposed.

Continue Reading