Commentary: Russia’s memory diplomacy is paying dividends in Southeast Asia

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MANUFACTURED REMEMORIES

Even if World War II thoughts are created, it is difficult but not impossible. When their defense ministers unveiled an Allies Of Myanmar Warriors monument in Moscow’s Patriot Park in August to commemorate the Battle of Mandalay in early 1945, Myanmar and Russia did exactly that.

Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, stated at the opening ceremony that it was crucial to” preserve and protect the reality of true history” and that Burma and the Soviet Union had worked together to put an end to fascism( a term that is already popular in the Kremlin because it has accused the Russian leadership of being Nazis ). One of the men in the statue is shown holding a rifle from the Soviet Union.

In actuality, Moscow did not offer Burma any defense support during the conflict.

The Cold War is a more fertile ground for Moscow’s memory delicacy in Southeast Asia because it was during the time of superpower conflict that the Soviet Union supported republican movements in the area.

The Kremlin’s enormous military and financial contributions to Vietnam and Laos during the Cold War continue to be the cornerstone of both nations’ relations with Russia.

Senior Asian leaders always mention Moscow’s” heartfelt help” for Vietnam in its” fight for national independence and reconciliation ,” as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh just did.

A statue honoring Russian aircraft who killed Burmese pilot training in the 1970s was unveiled in Vientiane in 2022. The storage of the heroic deed performed by the Russian pilots will be in the minds of both peoples, according to the Russian ambassador to Laos.

Earlier in the 1960s, weapons payments from the Soviet Union to Indonesia helped the Sukarno government defeat the Dutch and annex Papua.

The construction of the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh is one example of how Russia frequently uses the meager support it currently provides to Southeast Asia to preserve the memory of Communist support.

Moscow’s remembrance of politics in the case of Thailand, which sided with America during the Cold War, dates back to the late 19th centuries, when the royal households of Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Siam developed near personal relationships. Tsar Nicholas II is credited with preventing Siam from being colonized by Britain and France in both Russian and Vietnamese tales. The Russians are often eager to embellish this historical fact.

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Malaysia’s net zero transition: expediting ESG | FinanceAsia

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The Joint Committee on Climate Change ( JC3 ) of Malaysia met last month to discuss working together to improve the financial sector’s ability to develop climate resilience. & nbsp,

According to a spokesperson for Bank Negara Malaysia( BNM ),” sustainable assets are gaining momentum in Malaysia with key investment styles built around the need for accelerating sectoral transition and climate resilience, such as energy transition, circular economy, food security, and freedom change.”

The JC3 board was established in September 2019 to ensure a cogent approach to ESG initiatives, with its founding serving as” great testimony” to how proponents of Malaysia’s capital markets intend to work closely to improve sustainability practices in Malaysia, according to Angelia Chin – Sharpe, CEO of BNP Paribas Asset Management, which operates in Southeast Asia.

Its members include representatives of the market’s central bank, BNM, capital markets regulator, Securities Commission Malaysia ( SC ), stock exchange, Bursa Malaysia, and 21 other financial industry players, including Chin-Shawni at BNP AM, insurance companies Allianz, Swiss Re and Zurich, as well as banks like RHB Islamic and CIMB.

The committee outlined five initiatives at the meeting that” emphasise the crucial part of the banking sector in enabling a lasting plan” with the goal of expediting the economy’s low-carbon practices. A pilot project to switch industrial parks and their operational infrastructure to low-carbon practices was one of these, along with three data-related initiatives and a RM1 billion($ 0.210 million ) guarantee to provide funding to smaller market players to support their ESG agendas. & nbsp,

The BNM spokesperson stated to FA that one of the goals of” Ekonomi Madani” is to encourage Malaysia’s green growth in the direction of climate resilience. This goal aims to put Malaysia on a strong development path by realizing and addressing key national issues.

There are numerous opportunities for industry players, including international investors, to achieve the National Energy Transition Roadmap ( NETR ) targets set for 2050, she said.

Energy efficiency( EE ), renewable energy( RE ), hydrogen, bioenergy, and green mobility and carbon capture, utilisation and storage( CCUS ) are the six energy transition levers that Malaysia’s NETR identifies as its ten flagship projects. These are anticipated to catalyze and quicken the market’s energy transition, reduce greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions by at least 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent ( MtCO2eq ) annually, create 23, 000 high-impact job opportunities, and improve corporate ecosystem growth opportunities with benefits to society.

According to the BNM touch, their powerful supply necessitates investments in infrastructure, engineering, and human capital totaling between RM1.2 trillion and Rs1.3 trillion up to 2050. In addition to & nbsp,

While Malaysia’s administrative society is capable of reviewing such an option and is aware of the significance of incorporating ESG into purchase technique,” there is still a need to teach” smaller scale investors on the opportunities and risks associated with sustainability strategies, according to Chin-Sharpe, BNP Paribas AM.

Having said that, she added,” Most banks in Malaysia are committed to playing a more active role to align and help their clients understand the[ relevant ] Malaysian taxonomies.”

Purchase and regulation

The five new initiatives have been included in the government’s budget for 2024 and” complement other policies such as the NETR, the New Industrial Master Plan ( NIMP ) 2030 and the Mid-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan ( MTR – 12MP ,” according to YB Nik Nazmi Nk Ahmad, minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change.

All governing events, including JC3 users, Malaysia’s Corporate Guarantee Corporation, and pertinent ministries, are committed to putting the tasks into action, the BNM representative confirmed with FA.

The regulatory environment in Malaysia keeps up with the country’s continued energy transition and the funding needed to make it happen. To obtain conservation and environment goals, the money market should be prepared to help finance raising and investments. Since 2011, when Sustainable and Responsible Investment ( SRI ) has been included as a crucial growth strategy in the Capital Market Masterplan CMP2, the SC has paved the way for sustainability, according to Dato ‘ Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin, its chairman.

A Climate Chance and Principle-based Taxonomy was published by BNM in 2021. In December 2022, SC unveiled a Principles-Based SRI Taxony for the Malaysian Capital Market. This year, in June of this year. SC also established the International Sustainability Standards Board’s ( ISSB ). & nbsp,

Meanwhile, the BNM spokesperson emphasized last month’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation legislation as having the potential to significantly lower energy use by 2050 — by 2, 017 million gigajoules, or RM97 billion in savings— and to” create new jobs in energy management and auditing ,” she said.

According to Adrian Wong, mind of jobs and director at the Singapore-based law firm Prolegis, which has a formal legal ally with Herbert Smith Freehills( HSF ),” investment has increased in Malaysia in part because the regulatory environment has done more to promote appetite in renewables.”

Large-scale solar auctions in Malaysia’s peninsular and projects along the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy ( Score) are two of the renewable infrastructure projects his team is helping clients with.

The transport industry is anticipated to play a significant role in the demand for renewable energy, with electric vehicle ( EV ) usage expected to reach 80 % of the car market in 2050.

However, he informed FA that the greatest possibility is present in projects involving solar, water, and biofuel. In 2040, it is anticipated that all three sources will increase and account for roughly 17 % of Malaysia’s total energy mix.

a files travel

Data and the potential of emerging technologies to support Malaysia’s conservation plan are the three activities that were announced at the event.

The first builds on the accomplishments of JC3’s Greening Value Chain ( GVC ) pilot program, which began in 2022 and has so far assisted 80 small and medium enterprises( SMEs ) in tracking and reporting greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions across the length of their supply chains. In order to provide public listed companies( PLCs ) capacity-building support, reporting tools, and additional financing facilities, which the BNM spokesperson said could be accessed” at competitive rates via the Low Carbon Transition Facility( LCTF ), the updated plan connects Bursa Malaysia’s sustainability data platform with the GVC program.

Access to an” ESG jump-start portal,” through which Malay businesses can obtain useful information on ESG-related capacity-building programs, certification, as well as financial and opportunity methods, and the introduction of a Green AgriTech program to promote the adoption of green technology and sustainable agriculture techniques among local producers, are additional data related initiatives.

According to the BNM director,” Green AgriTech offers substantial potential for Malaysia’s agricultural field by opening up new possibilities and addressing vital difficulties.”

Wong concurred that emerging technology has the potential to modernize and alter Malaysia’s ESG strategy, particularly in the agricultural industry. From ensuring a sustainable supply of food sources to raising general health and environmental criteria, he mentioned the potential for positive effects.

To ensure that farmers may conduct their financial transactions online, he suggested the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s project, which linked small farmers to online marketplaces offering bright warehouse facilities, supply, and farming solutions.

Through a thorough approach to alternative solutions, this catalytic pilot program encourages farmers to use technologies and follow greener and ecological practices. Participating farmers can obtain grants and LCTF to purchase natural systems, the BNM spokesperson added.

” Technology use may improve produce stability and quality while also assisting in the resolution of food safety issues.”

maintaining speed

The efforts to enlist input from all parts of Malaysia’s market, both the public sector and the private sector, is at the core of the country as it transitions. The BNM spokesperson informed FA that” efforts to level public-private partnerships are even continuing, with fresh initiatives.”

She stated that the GVC program is an excellent illustration of a cutting-edge blended financing initiative in Malaysia that supports the country’s move toward enlightenment.

BNM continues to support private institutions’ participation in the government’s loan offerings, the call emphasized,” BNM also supports such attempts by facilitating the release of Government of Malaysia Sustainable Sukuk for registration by both domestic and foreign investors.”

According to SC chairman Hussin at the conference, the SRI-linked Sukuk Framework was introduced last year, giving the Indonesian capital market access to a full range of frameworks to assist businesses in financing transitional projects as well as alternative, social, and sustainability initiatives.

Fitch recently released an ESG document that showed a steadfast global appetite for the sukuk. The data shows that by the end of 3Q23, ESG sukuk issuance had increased by 66 % year over year( YoY ) to reach$ 33.3 billion worldwide.

Due to built-in sharia filters, there is a cross between Islamic funding and ESG principles, according to the ratings agent’s research. & nbsp,

Over the moderate name,” Fitch Ratings anticipates more rise.” According to the review, the company’s growth is largely driven by governments’ sustainability initiatives and issuers’ funding diversification goals toward both sharia and ESG-sensitive investors.

” ESG sukuk could receive an awareness and issuance boost ,” said Bashar Al-Natoor, Fitch’s global head of Islamic Finance, with the United Arab Emirates( UAE) hosting the Conference of Parties( COP ) 28 this year.

It is motivating to see the Indonesian government adopting a” full of state” approach to addressing the impact of climate change on economic conservation, Hussin said at the conference’s conclusion. The nation’s interests and sustainable development methods are outlined in roadmaps and masterplans that have been made available by the relevant ministries.

I want to say it again:” Our planet is facing an unprecedented problem, one that necessitates immediate and coordinated effort from all countries, sectors, and individuals.”

 

Haymarket Media Limited All right are held back.

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A passion for wine in Vietnam’s Central Highlands - Southeast Asia Globe

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The climate of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, rising high above the country’s muggy coast and river deltas, wasn’t lost on erstwhile French colonists. In the early 20th century, seeking relief from tropical lethargy and illness, they carved a health resort from pine forests at 1,600 metres elevation. They named it DaLat.

As it turned out, apart from íts benefits for well-being, DaLat was a great place to grow things that didn’t do well at sea level. Vegetables and fruits like avocados, artichokes and strawberries thrived in the cooler climate. So, too, did flowers: orchids, roses, hydrangeas. Coffee farms and cashew orchards proliferated on the steep-sided mountain slopes.

Much to the gall of the Gauls, however, grapes didn’t do as well. French being French, they loved their wine, and they had high hopes that the upland climate might yield something akin to the Vitis vinifera of their European homeland: A merlot, perhaps. A robust cabernet. A crisp sauvignon blanc.

Through many fits and starts, they finally have it, although the French colonists (obviously) are long gone.

Today the Ladora Winery, operated by Ladofoods, is firmly established in greater DaLat. Its wines may not be to the taste of many Westerners, but as wineries go, it is the “only one with a proper vineyard and winemaking”, affirmed Tu Lê Huy, president and co-founder of the Saigon Sommelier Association. Indeed, Ladora is the only start-to-finish winery anywhere in the former French Indochina.

The Ladora Winery, near the Central Highlands city of DaLat, is the only start-to-finish winery in the former French Indochina. Photo by John Gottberg Anderson

Ladora grows its own grapes and processes its own wines. The grapes — cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot and sauvignon blanc, plus the hybrid Cardinal varietal — are grown in 125 hectares of vineyards near Phan Rang, not far from ancient Champa Empire ruins. Immediately upon their twice-yearly harvest, they are trucked 60 kilometers to the Ladofoods factory to be de-stemmed, crushed, fermented, pressed, filtered, aged and bottled.

The French had found the local grapes to be far too tart for wine. Even with vineyard cuttings from Europe, the heat and humidity produced only low yields of bitter berries. So they turned their attention to making sweeter fruit wines, especially apple and strawberry. (The Vietnamese already knew that tropical fruits, including bananas and pineapples, could be fermented to produce a high-proof if barely palatable household plonk.)

Upon the normalization of diplomatic relations with the West in the 1990s, wine grapes made a reappearance in Vietnam, boosted by Australian and European investment and modern technology. The key to success was planting in a different climate zone than the production facility.

“DaLat is too rainy, too fertile for grapes,” said Huy, one of three Vietnamese men who founded the sommeliers’ group in 2017. (It has now grown to 120 members.) “DaLat is great for tea and coffee, but not good for grapes. That’s why Lado grows its grapes in Ninh Thuan province.”

Wine in Asia

Elsewhere in Vietnam, Hanoi’s MAM Distillery, established in 2019, blends rice wine with fermented fruit juices, 15 in all, kumquats to raspberries to lemons. Sơn Tinh, founded in Hanoi by a Swiss winemaker in 2000, makes a small-batch rice wine noted for its herbal qualities.

The DalatBeco wine company, launched in 2007, has been importing fruit from France to counter struggles with the quality and consistency of grapes produced by local growers, despite a joint-venture partnership with wine experts in Avignon. “A lot of bulk wine importers bottle their own wine here,” Huy noted.

The nearest full wineries to southern Vietnam are 1,000 km from DaLat, in Thailand’s Khao Yai hills northeast of Bangkok. (Cambodia has a fruit winery at Battambang.) Other Asian countries are slowly progressing.

One of their champions is American wine educator and author Liz Thach, a certified Master of Wine and a professor at California’s Sonoma State University.

“I am pleased to see the growth of wineries in Asia, along with consumer interest in wine,” Thach said. “China actually has a very old wine culture and over 400 wineries, with some of them producing excellent award-winning wines. Bali now has four wineries, and I recently visited one of them and was extremely impressed with the quality of the wine.

“Vietnam has also been producing wine for many years, and they have become very creative in pairing wine with the delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Wineries are growing in number in Thailand, Japan, Korea and India. I believe there is an exciting future for wine in Asia.”

Huy was less enthusiastic about Chinese wine than Japanese. “China is still very much in the early stage of winemaking,” he said. “I tried some; it still has a lot of tannin and lacks character. But Japan makes some nice whites, which they’ve crossed with native grapes suitable to the climate.”

Profit and projection

From a profitability standpoint, wine is far from big business in Vietnam. Consumption of imported wines far exceeds domestic brands, yet in 2023, the market yielded only US$229 million, about $2.30 per capita. (By contrast, U.S. wine revenue was over $56 billion, with per capita consumption of about $58.) Continued growth in the Vietnam wine market is anticipated at a rate of just under 4 percent per year through 2027.

Figures from Ladofoods highlight the fallout the domestic industry experienced in 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam’s leading wine producer netted US$10.15 million in sales in 2021, yet that figure plummeted to $7.85 million in 2022. It’s likely that 2023 will show a recovery to more than $9.2 million (223 billion in Viet Nam Dong).

Chateau DaLat specializes in sweeter wines for the Asian market, adding mulberries to increase the sugar and alcohol content. Photo by John Gottberg Anderson

About 40 percent of Ladora’s production is exported to other Asian countries, said tasting-room manager Ngoc Dung. Of that, Japan gets the lion’s share, followed by Korea. Lesser amounts are shipped to Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, China and Taiwan. That leaves 60 percent for the domestic market.

“The Vietnam market is definitely an entry-level market,” said Huy. “They are only starting to get the idea of wine pairing. There’s a niche market of well-educated and really wealthy Vietnamese for whom classic Bordeauxs are number one.

“They’ve started to drink white with seafood. But for the most part, white wine is not working well here. It’s better in the north because North Vietnamese have a different palate. They like more acidity but not sweet. Central Vietnam likes more spice. The South likes sugar.”

A visit to Ladora

The Ladora Winery is located 28 kilometers east of DaLat city in the hill country of the Phat Chi district. The elegant Chateau DaLat, sitting atop a garden knoll, is at the heart of a building complex overlooking a landscape of greenhouses that provide colourful flowers to the markets of DaLat and Ho Chi Minh City.

Twenty-five steps beneath an earth-covered hummock is an elaborate and extensive wine cellar. Oak barrels filled with aging cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot, and stainless-steel drums of sauvignon blanc, are stacked against the walls. A tower of unlabeled bottles of reds occupies the middle of one room. A long tasting table awaits tour groups, not present on this day.

Ladora’s factory area processes grapes grown on 125 hectares of vineyards near Phan Rang, 60 kilometers to the southeast. Photo John Gottberg Anderson

Assistant winemaker Nguyen Lan said the company makes two principal kinds of wine with these same grapes, for two distinct markets. The Chateau DaLat brand is designed for those of European predilection; wines are plus or minus 12 percent alcohol. Vang DaLat, its grapes blended with the hybrid Cardinal varietal, is typically over 15 percent. (Ladoro also makes a sweet but lower-alcohol Nouvo Sangria and a sparkling Vivazz fruit wine.)

“Mostly, Asians like the sweeter wines,” Lan said. “So we add mulberries, whose sugar increases the alcohol content while making the colour a bit lighter.”

“In DaLat, there’s just not enough sugar in the natural wine,” sommelier Huy reiterated. “The mulberry adds more sugar and more colour.”

Europeans, by contrast, prefer the unblended Chateau DaLat varietals, made under the direction of head winemaker Lê Binh together with European consultants. Some of these have been honoured at wine competitions in Hong Kong and San Francisco.

A sample tasting

A visit to Ladora’s sophisticated, Czech-designed tasting room begins with a video presentation introducing the Ninh Thuan vineyards. The company owns one-fifth of the grapes here; the remaining 100 hectares belong to private farmers contracted to sell the grapes to Ladora. Drip irrigation ensures the plants have sufficient water in the dry season. Flocks of ducks patrol the wine hedges to eat insect pests.

Annual grape production averages 10 to 15 tonnes per hectare, Lan said. All of the fruit is transported uphill to the modern Central Highlands factory, where the temperature is maintained at a steady 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Chateau DaLat offers tastings of European-style and sweeter hybrid wines, along with sangrias and fruit wines. Photo John Gottberg Anderson

It would be impossible to taste each one of the more than two dozen wines in the Ladofoods catalogue in a single sitting. A sample tasting is more instructional than comprehensive. The 2017 Chateau DaLat Special sauvignon blanc (12.5 percent) is very dry, a little sour, with aromas of lime and passion fruit. It’s recommended to be enjoyed with shellfish.

The Vang Dalat Classic Special is a 70-30 blend of Cardinal grapes with mulberries. Despite high acidity and peppery spice, it has a mellow finish. “It’s my favorite,” said the assistant winemaker. Vang Dalat Strong, at 15 percent alcohol, is an 85-15 blend of Cardinal and mulberries with a lighter ruby colour and the aroma of sweet berries, almost like jam on bread. “Korean guests love this one,” Lan said. Because of their mulberry content, the Vang Dalat wines don’t carry a vintage date.

More traditional in approach is the 2018 Chateau Dalat Reserve cabernet sauvignon (12.5 percent), aged in French-made American oak barrels for 1½ years. A subtle flavour of black currant presides over a gentle red that retails at US$14. Aged six months longer, the 2019 Chateau Dalat Signature shiraz (13 percent) is earthy and full-bodied with rich tannins and a white-pepper finish. Its retail price is US$34. “Japanese and Koreans love this one,” said Lan.

“Most people in Vietnam have the idea that import wine is better than wine from Vietnam,” the assistant winemaker said. “So it’s hard to change their mind.”

Of course, not all Vietnamese are enamoured with their country’s domestically produced wines. Lê Huy, the sommelier, suggested that they lack originality: “Welcome to the government company,” he laughed. (Formerly state-owned, Ladofoods is now in fact a Vietnamese joint stock corporation.)

Looking ahead

Today, as a picturesque city of nearly half a million people, Da Lat is a favorite of tourists both domestic and international. It remains a health resort as well as a center for education, its universities famed for their work in biotechnology, nuclear physics and architecture. Beautiful gardens surround its urban lakes. A street market is renowned throughout Vietnam.

Tu Lê Huy is president and co-founder of the Saigon Sommelier Association. He calls the Vietnam market “entry level” for fine wines. Submitted photo

But there are no winery tasting rooms even though there is apparently no prohibition against them. DaLat wines are widely available in shops in that city, and in Ladofoods’ showroom in Ho Chi Minh City, but consumers have no chance to taste the wines before buying them. It seems that someone is missing a great great marketing opportunity.

Foreign investors have looked into the possibility of establishing other wine regions in Vietnam. But Huy said it’s unlikely that will happen.

“In the North, we don’t have a delta big enough for vineyards,” he said. “It’s only rocks.

“The BaNa Hills near DaNang are very suited for wine grapes, but the best climate is in the middle of a national reserve — and money cannot talk in the national reserve. There was interest from an Italian winemaker, but the wine would have had to be priced at US$70 a bottle. There would be no way to sell it.”

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Singapore rejected 5 bids to use Speakers' Corner for events on Israel-Hamas conflict

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According to & nbsp, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim in parliament on Monday, November 6, the Singapore government has rejected five requests to use the Speakers’ Corner for events related to the Israel-Hamas war in October. Separately, the Ministry of Home AffairsContinue Reading

Prince William goes dragon boating in Singapore ahead of Earthshot Prize ceremony

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The later President John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to reach the moon by the end of that generation in his 1962″ launchpad” speech, which is the prize’s title. The duke and his colleagues were motivated by this to set a similar objective for 2030 in order to address environmental issues.

Both the first and subsequent ceremonies took place in Boston and London, respectively, in 2021.

According to Prince William’s business at Kensington Palace, Singapore was selected to host the meeting this year due to its status as a” hub for technology” in Southeast Asia.

Prince William may also explore Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and join with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his four-day visit, which will be his first to the city-state since 2012.

Prince William also intends to go the$ 20 billion a year United for Wildlife mountain, which will bring together representatives from law enforcement organizations, environmental protection organizations, and businesses working to stop the trade in illegal wildlife materials.

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Japan-Philippines moving toward US-led trilateral alliance

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MANILA: During his two-day official visit to Manila last year, Fumio Kishida said,” I am honored to have the opportunity to be the first Japanese Prime Minister to communicate here at the Congress of the Philippines, which has a long history.”

The Japanese leader argued during the historic speech that the two nations have now entered a” golden age” of bilateral relations amid an unprecedented convergence of strategic interests.

Kishida traveled to Southeast Asia to strengthen defense ties with like-minded partners just one year after launching a new era in” realism diplomacy” and pledging to double Japan’s defense spending in terms of its gross domestic product ( GDP ).

Japan is currently pursuing closer defence cooperation with the neighboring country in addition to being a leading export destination and leading investor for the Philippines.

Kishida unveiled a new security aid item during his trip to Manila, which was highlighted by an ocean sensor system. As part of the growing bilateral maritime security cooperation, Japan is also anticipated to supply the Philippine Coast Guard( PCG ) with more multi-role vessels.

Importantly, Japan is pursuing a Reciprocal Access Agreement( RAA ) with the Philippines, which could eventually lead to expanded bilateral defense exchanges, such as regular wargames and partial basing access.

During his trip to Southeast Asia, Kishida also traveled to Malaysia, where he advocated for the” new vision of cooperation”& nbsp, which was focused on maintaining a rules-based order in the area. & nbsp,

Malaysia has been chosen as one of Japan’s new Official Security Assistance ( OSA ) program beneficiaries, along with the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Fiji, with a focus on rebuffing Chinese naval assertiveness.

The state-backed newspaper Global Times in China criticized Kishida’s visit as a” troublemaking journey” that offered” gift packs ,” which primarily contained” lethal weapons ,” because it was aware of the geopolitical significance of his regional tour.

All wind companions

Kishida wasn’t making his second trip to the area. In the midst of Tokyo’s burgeoning strategic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations( ASEAN) bloc, Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of Japan, had frequently visited the area.

In the past ten years, Kishida has played a key role in the rapidly growing tactical ties between Japan and the Philippines due to their shared concerns about China.

Under the leadership of past Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, Manila’s relations with the US and China underwent significant changes, but Japan was able to keep a positive momentum.

Then-president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met on August 30, 2019, at Beijing’s National Aquatics Center. Photo: Robinson Ninal / Philippine Presidential Photo

In fact, Duterte slowly endorsed increased military participation with Japan despite frequently criticizing the West in favor of China. Teodoro Locsin, a member of Duterte’s top cabinet, and Delfin Lorenzana traveled to Tokyo last year for their first-ever” 2 2″ meeting in order to” strengthen defense cooperation in light of the increasingly harsh security environment.”

Although Duterte’s rhetoric toward Beijing was generally accommodative, his top diplomat and defense chief expressed” major concern” over the coastal confidence of the Eastern power and, along with their Japanese rivals,” highly opposed” any unilateral action that jeopardizes regional peace and security.

The Philippines, like Japan, voted to suspend Russia’s participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council while the then-president of the Philippines continued to maintain” neutrality” regarding the Ukraine war.

In the midst of rising tensions with China in the South China Sea, Japan had also gradually increased relationships with other like-minded regional says, most notably Vietnam and Malaysia, which likewise received coastal security assistance from Tokyo. & nbsp,

Kishida invited the leaders of the Philippines and Malaysia to the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation summit in Tokyo in December as part of his most recent South Asian trip.

However, the Philippines— a friend US treaty ally strategically situated between the Western Pacific and the South China Sea — represents a significant award for Japan in many ways.

A new age in” authenticity geopolitics” was promised by Kishida during his keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last year. At the time, he declared that Japan” would be more vigilant than ever in tackling the problems and problems that face Japan, Asia, and the earth.”

Japan is expanding its network of military cooperation abroad in addition to bolstering its domestic defenses, with a particular emphasis on Southeast Asia, where Tokyo enjoys enormous grace.

Japan has consistently topped the list of ASEAN’s preferred external partners among regional thought leaders in annual surveys conducted by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies( ISEAS ) in Singapore.

This is particularly true in the Philippines, where Japan is regarded as an” all-weather ally” that has benefited the economy more than any other country and is now exploring military cooperation like never before.

Kishida announced a number of new agreements during his meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in an effort to forge an incredibly detailed partnership. These agreements included construction, mining, the environment, natural resources, and tourism.

Japan, which is already constructing Manila’s first train among other multi-billion money jobs, also vowed to support system enhancement under the guidance of a High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation. & nbsp,

The author was informed by a senior Chinese cabinet member that Japan is also looking into significant manufacturing investments that could possibly make the Philippines the center of the region’s automotive industry.

In the direction of a multilateral alignment

In order to improve the Southeast Asian country’s maritime domain awareness capacity compared to China, Kishida also formally unveiled the Official Security Assistance( OSA ) of Japan, which will start with a$ 4 million grant to equip the Philippine Navy with coastal radar systems.

In order to improve its maritime safety features, Japan is even anticipated to supply at least five additional 97-meter-long vessels for the PCG.

Yet, this is probably just the beginning of the ice. A Reciprocal Access Agreement ( RAA) to” further strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries” was also finalized by the parties.

The Visiting Forces Agreement-style deal will probably facilitate also larger and more powerful joint military exercises once finalized, with Spanish parliamentary ratification, as well as the transfer of more advanced weapons systems to be primarily aimed at China.

On December 11, 2022, commanders from the US, Japan, and the Philippines pose at Camp Asaka in Japan. Twitter Screengrab / Stars and Stripes image

We are aware of the advantages of having this structure to our defense and military personnel as well as to maintaining peace and stability in our area, Marcos Jr. boldly declared in front of his Chinese host.

Given that Japan and the Philippines are close to Taiwan, the two factors also made it clear that they were committed to forming a de facto multilateral alignment with the US.

Japan believes that assistance from ASEAN countries, particularly the Philippines, is essential to preventing any potential Chinese dynamic action against the autonomous democratic island that Beijing views as a rebellious province that needs to be” reunified” with the island.

Both sides’ foreign and defence ministers directly” understood the importance of each country’s individual treaty alliance with the United States and that of enhancing cooperation with local partner countries” last year.

A Japan-Philippines-US ( JAPUS) trilateral alliance would likely be the logical next strategic move after Manila gave the US Pentagon access to valuable bases close to Taiwan’s southern shores and started looking into a VFA-style deal with Tokyo.

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian at @ Richeyarian on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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India's growing imperative to empower S Korea in Indo-Pacific

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The Indo-Pacific area is currently experiencing a prominent power struggle, which is somewhat characterized by China’s efforts to lessen the influence of the United States there. Concerns about regional security, as well as worries about South Korea’s sovereignty and autonomy, have been raised by the expanding economic and military footprint of China in the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea must strengthen its security infrastructure and improve its functions due to the growing Chinese military appearance near the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean government is under more stress as a result of the growing alliance between Russia, China, and North Korea, which has forced safety measures to be strengthened.

This new alliance even puts pressure on countries with similar passions, like the US, Japan, and India, to support South Korea.

Importantly, Beijing has begun to use the web of economic interdependence that China has created as South Korea’s main trading partner for its strategic goals. The ability of South Korea to combat China’s growing confidence in the Korean Peninsula is constrained by its prominent reliance on Chinese markets.

India’s proper essential to equip South Korea has gained significant fame in this dynamic geopolitical environment of the Korean Peninsula and the wider Indo-Pacific area.

This critical is brought on by the region’s rapidly shifting power dynamics, which are accentuated by Chinese dominance and pose serious threats to regional security and the sovereignty of not only South Korea but also many other smaller countries in the area.

Without endangering its own objectives, India never afford to ignore this transfer of power. India is extremely being compelled to play a crucial role in bolstering South Korea’s endurance due to its significant client status in the area of regional peace and security.

India’s growing effect in Korea

India has become a significant and influential player in the development of peace and stability in East Asia in recent years. Given its unique vantage point and ability to have a significant impact on the balance of power within the Korean Peninsula, India’s role in bolstering the political position of South Korea assumes significant significance.

India’s expanding presence in the area and its ability to implement a comprehensive and varied approach encompassing economic, cultural, military, diplomatic, and tactical dimensions serve to emphasize this significance.

It is crucial to understand that the preservation of peace and stability within the larger Indian Ocean place is inextricably linked to the stability of the Korean Peninsula. Any noticeable change in the power dynamics on the Korean Peninsula did unavoidably affect the larger Indo-Pacific area and its overall balance of power.

India is under increasing pressure to develop an all-encompassing economic and security strategy given that China primarily uses a combination of military and economic tools to enhance its corporate objectives. In order to maintain the status quo on the Korean Peninsula, this approach aims to fully leverage South Korea’s economic, military, social, and diplomatic ties to China.

Financial hedging

The urgent need is to lessen South Korea’s significant emphasis on the Chinese market for its goods given the proper use of trade and investment by China as tools of policy. In response, India is compelled to implement targeted import incentives geared toward the promotion of Vietnamese goods, with a focus on lessening South Korea’s reliance on Chinese markets for particular goods.

These actions are intended to support the foreign policy stance of the current Seoul authority.

Significantly, North Korean commercial enterprises find themselves seriously entangled in the importation of essential high-tech organic materials from China, which limits South Korea’s ability to make decisions about its foreign and security policies on its own.

India & nbsp must address this issue as a crucial part of its comprehensive economic strategy for South Korea’s empowerment. Growth of sources for vital organic materials and technologies represents a crucial step in preserving South Korea’s protection and independence.

A growing number of North Korean firms are thinking about moving away from the Chinese island due to a variety of geopolitical and economic factors. However, the high cost of such evictions presents a significant challenge for some.

India should extend incentives and concessions as part of its developing monetary strategy to make it easier for Asian businesses to move from their well-established manufacturing hubs in mainland China to alternate locations in Southeast Asia and India.

Korean businesses may be motivated to think about moving to India if the financial difficulties brought on by these relocations are properly addressed, possibly through the implementation of tailored packages.

India is relevant because of the obvious slowdown in South Korea’s economic growth, which has serious economic and geopolitical ramifications that affect regional security.

It is India’s responsibility to considerably increase its monetary assistance to Korea through a wide range of channels in order to revitalize and stabilize the North Korean economy. As a result, it is crucial for the American government to implement an incentive plan that is specifically tailored to the interests of American businesses.

With the specific aim of promoting investments in North Korean businesses, this system should include both technical expertise and financial assistance. Stabilizing the Vietnamese economy is the initiative’s main goal, which also helps to advance local harmony, stability, and security.

government support

India must pay close attention to enhancing South Korea’s military capabilities in addition to strengthening its financial resilience, a task that is being accentuated by the growing defense prowess of China.

There is currently a pervasive misconception in American legislation circles that the US and South Korea’s strong military alliance eliminates the need for additional contributions. This perception, however, belies a more nuanced reality, where the United States is constrained by specific restrictions in its ability to give South Korea complete support.

In light of this historical context, India has a responsibility to strengthen its military ties with South Korea, highlighting its increased dedication to joint naval exercises, intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and the exchange of cutting-edge protection technologies. Like joint efforts may significantly improve South Korea’s protection capabilities and readiness.

Given India’s reputation as a country known for its expanding indigenous defense capabilities, the idea of transferring developed defense technology to South Korea merits careful consideration, especially in areas where Korea currently has relative shortages, such as long-range missile systems, marine warfare technologies, electronic warfare capability, and space warfare technology.

Maritime assistance

Local peace and stability are being seriously threatened by China’s increasing naval hostility in the area, particularly the South China Sea and its surrounding regions. Given that the majority of its business passes through the sea lanes in this region, Korea has a sizable play in the free and open Indo-Pacific region.

It is essential for India to give Korea the tools it needs to resist Chinese naval aggression and influence because Korea is extremely susceptible to Chinese pressure and possible blackmail in this area.

The two nations are now working together in a constructive way. India needs to do more to help Korea, though, given the extent of Taiwanese confidence. The peace and current situation in this region are essential to Korea’s financial stability, so in the coming weeks, the Taiwanese political and military leadership may be tempted to use this area to put pressure on Korea.

South Korea has recently been looking to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean. India may assist these initiatives, especially those involving the presence of the North Korean navy, which can help India balance China in the Bay of Bengal and the surrounding areas.

Through a variety of channels, India needs to support the South Vietnamese Navy in the Indian Ocean more actively, promoting participation and maritime security. India may improve combined naval exercises in the Indian Ocean with the North Korean Navy, giving them valuable exposure and practice. These exercises may encourage cooperation, information sharing, and fostering trust between the two navies.

India’s expertise in carrying out anti-piracy activities in the Indian Ocean may be useful for protecting South Korean shipping lanes and ensuring the security of sea roads used by Korea for business.

To improve their abilities and knowledge in fields like anti-submarine warfare, coastal surveillance, and search and rescue operations, India should expand training programs for North Korean marine personnel.

Closer ties can be fostered by South Korean naval vessels making more frequent interface visits to American ports. Discussions about marine protection and the potential for mutual marine operations in the event of emergencies on the Korean Peninsula and nearby areas could be included in these visits, which may increase in frequency.

In order to exchange marine intelligence and provide real-time information on sea conditions, probable threats, and security situations, the two nations should strengthen their mechanisms.

Support for cyber security and cross war

China is increasingly using digital and hybrid warfare as tools to increase its regional effect. India must therefore concentrate on enhancing Korea’s strategic capabilities in the areas of security and cross warfare.

India and South Korea should work together on security and techniques to counter non-traditional threats given China’s expertise in computer war and cross tactics. This partnership may aid in defending both countries from China’s destructive actions.

In order to maintain regional balance and counter China’s forceful habits, India and South Korea should simultaneously develop and carry out initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region.

Interpersonal influence

South Korea is now dealing with a wide range of complex local social issues, including demographic aging, mental health problems, and declining birth rates. These inner conflicts not only weaken South Korea’s social structure but also limit its ability to successfully manage the physical difficulties brought on by the continuous energy interactions between the United States and China.

India had not ignore the inside schisms and difficulties afflicting South Korea in its power as a key stakeholder committed to the survival of local peace and stability. India has the capacity to offer priceless insights and assistance mechanisms aimed at overcoming these internal challenges because it is endowed with a politically different environment and an abundance of varied experiences.

It is crucial to emphasize how South Korea’s capacity to take on a more forceful role in creating an entirely new, rules-based security framework within the region is essential to the resolution of these home issues.

As a result, India should pay close attention to bolstering South Korea’s inside social stability as part of its overall effort to empower the country.

improving Korea’s sweet energy

The expansion of South Korea’s soft energy represents a circle in which India may pay particular attention outside of the realms of economic, cultural, and military impact.

Through social exchanges, informative initiatives, and tourism, South Korea’s soft power is being developed, which has the potential to strengthen ties between the country and its neighbors and support India’d regional diplomatic efforts.

India is in a good position to support South Korea’s effective participation in international forums like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the United Nations, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With such assistance, South Korea’s position within the region could be considerably improved, making it a significant participant in the emerging rule-based world order.

In order to counter China’s autocratic influence, India may join forces with South Korea in promoting democratic values and human rights in the area.

India also has the ability to intensify efforts to support Seoul’s initiatives to increase North Korean effect in the area. This includes supporting Korea’s initiatives for talks and negotiations with countries in Southeast Asia and Africa as well as the development of political ties to help the area establish a rules-based order.

In this situation, joint initiatives between India, South Korea, Japan, and the United States may become crucial tools for achieving local security and advancing a common set of political principles.

Conclusion

American policymakers must sincerely understand the gravity of the changing condition taking place on the Korean Peninsula and acknowledge that South Korea’s response to internal and external stresses will have a profound impact on every aspect of local life in the area.

A prolonged and comprehensive commitment that combines various facets, including financial, social, military, political, and strategic dimensions, is required to empower South Korea. India is tasked with the complex tracking of the political landscape while being aware of its own interests and working together with other regional countries to strengthen local stability and security.

India must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the complex dynamics underpinning the Korean economy and society in the wake of President Yoon & nbsp, Suk Yeol’s advocacy for an active and influential role for South Korea within the global spheres of geopolitics and economics, with an emphasis on the associated security implications.

Strategically important goals include the upkeep of the status quo within the Korean Peninsula and the protection of a healthy energy balance.

India’s growing economic and security cooperation with South Korea serves as an example for other countries dealing with similar safety conundrums. As a result, the proper paradigm of India may take into account factors related to economic, cultural, and secure facets, with the ultimate goal of bringing about North Korean empowerment.

India and South Korea are celebrating the gold anniversary of their diplomatic ties, so now is the perfect time for India to come up with a fresh, all-inclusive plan that strengthens its relationships with the country and the larger regional community.

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Import substitution subverting Asia's next economic miracles

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The increase of security-driven monetary policy in commercial nations gives rise to antediluvian inward-looking policy thinking, infecting the formulation of development strategies at a crucial juncture in nations like Indonesia, India, and nbsp, which are poised to make significant developmental advancements.

The world’s monetary policy environment is changing as a result of politics. The transfer of business plan in developed nations has been fueled by security-based logic and a second-best approach to the energy transition without costing carbon in the context of today’s proper competition and conflict. & nbsp,

An & nbsp, an explosion of trade interventions, industrial policies, and subsidies, has exacerbated the threat to the global economy posed by the widespread and a derogation of international trade laws.

In this policy environment, where self-sufficiency and import-supply strategies are gaining strong novel support, how may developing economies like India and Indonesia navigate it?

The only major shift from an economic backwardness to an advanced economy status in modern times has occurred in South Eastern economies. Therefore, it is wise to comprehend the lessons learned from the South Eastern development miracle, which are still applicable today. & nbsp,

On September 6, 2018, staff at the BMW Group Production Network 2 PT Gaya Motor factory in Jakarta, Indonesia, assembled new MINI Countryman pieces. Dasril Roszandi, NurPhoto, and Asia Times Files

In order to lay the groundwork for broad-based business growth, developing economies, constrained by their financial capacity, should remember the waste and futility of previous commercial policies that chose industry champions rather than producing people goods.

Based on the traditional experiences of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Southeast Asia, and China, powerful South Asian growth was based on trade-oriented growth( anchored in the disciplines of participation in international markets) and deeper integration into the global economy rather than flee from it or reliance on import substitution. & nbsp,

The rapid trade growth experienced by these economies was & nbsp, supply-driven, and was based on the growth of market share in long-established industries rather than the expansion of trade in high-growth, new sectors of the global economy. With a departure from state role in business, government investments were focused on social and economic facilities in public goods like roads and schools.

Politicians now appear to be living in a unique era. Modernization appears to have peaked, the global economy is fragmenting, and a policy pathology that favors self-sufficiency and import – substituting industrial policy is sweeping the world. Home events and political circumstances are posing the threat of stagnant growth upon established professional economy.

The cliche that emerging economies should turn to internal import substitution due to a less positive outlook on world market growth does not fit with Asia’s successful industrial growth.

Advancement in an international economic framework is about putting a lot of labor into more and more effective jobs, increasing productivity, and increasing national incomes.

So, pro-development strategies are those that encourage import specialization in labor-intensive products, attracting large amounts of work into globally competitive manufacturing, and higher productivity employment. & nbsp,

Powerful analytical benefit drives a more technology-intensive export trade framework over time as capital accumulates. A distribution of income that frequently favors labour has been the beneficial corollary of export-oriented development techniques.

Countries have emphasized the production of high-tech, capital-intensive goods from the beginning as a result of the new trend toward self-reliance and security.

Concentrating on these industries necessitates skilled labor, which is in short supply compared to an abundance of poor labor and cheap government expenditures, all of which come at the expense of supplying crucial government infrastructure. If a nation ages before it becomes wealthy, failing to make careers runs the risk of escalating injustice and stretching public resources in an untenable way.

Investing workers in sectors that may take advantage of its abundance and create global competitiveness is the key to effective trade-oriented growth. As comparative advantages change, this enables nations to take over other people’s business stocks. This is a method supported by an open market policy framework based on the principles of non-discrimination.

The relative advantage logic also holds true even during a slow growth period. By limiting access to low-cost and high-quality capital and industrial inputs, import-supply policies undermine this transition and keep businesses from becoming globally competitive.

The history of the South Asian financial miracle was undoubtedly messier and more intricate than the narrative that highlights its key elements has occasionally suggested. The policy approaches that led to victory in Japan, Northeast Asia, Singapore, China, and Southeast Asia were developed in various administrative and political contexts and each had a unique national figure. Special national paths and patterns of development have been shaped throughout the region by policy quirks, technological context, regional size, and location.

However, some elements persisted throughout the South Eastern experience. Rapid growth was largely facilitated by allowing access to inputs that made it easier for vast local labor to be absorbed into productive manufacturing employment. This required opening up to foreign market competition and accepting international investment. & nbsp,

Effective business plan across the place was typified by local reforms to support flexibility, increased state investment mobilization in education, health, transportation, communications networks, and friendly business infrastructure, as well as reduced state shares in financial enterprise and the allocation of capital.

On September 10, 2020, workers at a Haier shop in Wuhan, Hubei province in northern China, are working on an atmosphere condition production line. Asia Times Files, AFP, and Stringer

These ideas and experiences applied to China as well. At level, it has been a key component of it.

Two of Asia’s most promising candidates for revolutionary industrialization in the coming decades— India and Indonesia — have reached a turning point in their respective development paths. They are in a statistical sweet spot due to their young populations and new strong economic performance.

However, both nations run the risk of falling victim to the influence of professional policy 2.0. They would be better positioned to both realize their financial potential and avoid the risk of homeless growth that both currently face if their development strategies were tuned to the principles derived from the West Eastern experience.

At the Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU, Peter Drysdale serves as the head and Rojan Joshi as a research associate at the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.

This andnbsp, post, and was originally published by East Asia Forum and are being reprinted with permission from Creative Commons.

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Fancy staying in a bus? The Bus Collective at Changi Village offers 20 suites made from repurposed buses

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In: South-East Asia

The areas still have some of the accoutrements of an actual vehicle, which will please those who are intrigued by the innovation of sleeping inside a past mode of transportation. In addition to the apparent wheels and panels, the area also has a vehicle driver’s seat that you can relax in, which is something you most certainly cannot do while on your daily commute.

The partnership between WTS Travel and its associates is the first of its type in Southeast Asia.

By introducing The Bus Collective, we are redefining comfort kindness and pioneering an eco-conscious approach to commerce in Singapore, according to managing producer Micker Sia of WTS Travel. We are giving retired buses new life through creative thinking and competent performance, giving our passengers an unmatched experience.

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