New Delhi — After a four-and-a-half-year military standoff along their disputed Himalayan border, ties between India and China witnessed a thaw in 2024 with both sides withdrawing troops from two flashpoints. But analysts say mistrust remains a key hurdle to restoration of friendly ties between the Asian giants.

Indian foreign minister, Subrahmanyan Jaishankar, told parliament this month that the pullback has set New Delhi-Beijing ties “in the direction of some improvement.” But he stressed the need to restore stability on the frontier. “We are clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas is a pre-requisite for the development of our ties.”

While troops have stepped back from face-to-face confrontation along disputed stretches, tens of thousands of soldiers are still spending a fifth winter in the Himalayas while artillery and fighter jets remain deployed along the border.

“The mood on the border for four years has been one of preparing for war, therefore turning them into peacetime deployments is going to be an operational, mental, psychological and structural activity, which is, again, going to take a certain amount of time,” said Swaran Singh, professor at the School of International Studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Large stretches of the poorly defined 3,488-kilometer-long frontier between the two countries are disputed. Tensions had spiraled after a 2020 border skirmish that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

A high-level diplomatic dialogue to discuss the boundary dispute resumed last week after five years. Following a meeting between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Adviser Wang Yi in Beijing, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to seek solutions that were “fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

The two countries also decided to resume trips by Indian pilgrims to Tibet and restart border trade at a mountain pass.

The ground for the thaw was laid by a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia in October.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Li Jian told reporters at a press briefing last week that Beijing is ready to work with India to enhance mutual trust and manage their differences.

Analysts in New Delhi say India will be cautious moving ahead. “Border-related issues is something that India wants to address first, and then expand into an overall larger normalization of relationship with China,” Singh said.

Economic cooperation, however, is expected to move faster. China wants to tap into India’s growing market while New Delhi needs more Chinese imports as it seeks to become a manufacturing hub. Although bilateral trade has flourished despite the border crisis, India had put restrictions on Chinese investments and clamped down on issuing visas in the aftermath of the 2020 clash.

“While no one should expect a dramatic shift in political ties, economic ties will perhaps evolve in a much more accelerated manner and perhaps India would be much more liberal in opening up its markets or opening up certain sectors,” according to Harsh Pant, vice president for studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

Chinese foreign minister Wang asked his Indian counterpart to restore direct flights between the two countries that were suspended during the pandemic and facilitate visas for Chinese nationals at a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 countries in Rio De Janeiro.

“China’s and India’s common interests far outweigh their differences. The two sides should see each other’s development as an opportunity,” Wang told Jaishankar.

Analysts say the thaw between India and China – Asia’s two biggest countries — will not impact the trajectory of New Delhi’s ties with Washington, which have gathered momentum in recent years partly over mutual concerns about Beijing’s assertiveness. Besides its Himalayan border, New Delhi is also concerned about China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean – Beijing has built ports in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and is constructing one in Myanmar.

“Both India and the U.S. want a certain kind of Indo-Pacific, a certain kind of geography, strategic geography, which is free, balanced, open and fair, which is also inclusive and, in some ways, those ideas will continue to propel the relationship,” Pant said.

The countries are cooperating in areas ranging from defense to high technology. The U.S. is also India’s largest trading partner.

New Delhi’s ties with Washington have witnessed some stresses. India, for instance, did not join U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia and has continued to import large quantities of crude oil from Moscow.

Speaking recently at the launch of a foreign policy magazine, ‘India’s World,’ in New Delhi, Jaishankar said that ties between India and the U.S. will continue to deepen even if both sides do not see eye to eye on every issue.

“We have very honest conversations on where we agree and where we do not,” Jaishanker said.

Calling their relationship “important and large,” Jaishankar said, “we factor these conversations but keep advancing that [overall] relationship.”

Analysts say India will stay aligned with the United States and other Western countries in forums like the Quad.

“It is a win-win for both sides. China is a structural challenge for both India and the U.S. So irrespective of the fact whether there is a crisis or not, India and U.S. will continue to deepen their relationship,” said Sankalp Gurjar, assistant professor of geopolitics at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.
…

your ad here

KUALA LUMPUR — Scandal-hit Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad said on Monday it has filed a legal claim of more than $1 billion against corporate services provider Amicorp Group and its CEO, alleging the firm knowingly facilitated over $7 billion in fraudulent transactions. 

The claim, among one of the biggest filed by 1MDB related to the multibillion dollar graft scandal, was filed in the British Virgin Islands against eight Amicorp entities and its Chief Executive Officer Toine Knipping, alleging that they played a vital role in enabling the sovereign wealth fund to be defrauded between 2009 and 2014, 1MDB said in a statement. 

Amicorp Group did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment and repeated phone calls. 

Malaysian and U.S. investigators had previously estimated $4.5 billion was siphoned away from 1MDB following its inception in 2009, implicating former Prime Minister Najib Razak, Goldman Sachs staff and high-level officials elsewhere. Najib is currently in prison but has denied wrongdoing. 

1MDB alleges Hong Kong-headquartered Amicorp created and managed a complex conspiracy consisting of layers of shell companies, sham transactions, and fraudulent financial structures that obscured the true origin and destination of the funds. 

Stolen funds were purportedly routed through Singapore, Barbados, Curacao, Hong Kong, and the British Virgin Islands, 1MDB said. 

It further alleges that Amicorp provided access to the global financial system through Amicorp Bank, a bank registered in Barbados, and provided fund entities and banking services to allow the repeated cycling of assets, giving the impression that 1MDB’s assets had been invested and generated returns when in fact they had been misappropriated. 

1MDB said it is seeking damages for the losses it incurred from Amicorp’s “dishonest” assistance in breaches of fiduciary duty and conspiracy to commit unlawful acts, adding the legal action was part of a global effort to recover stolen 1MDB assets. 

“There is, in our view, strong evidence to suggest that Amicorp – at the highest levels – knew they were involved in a dishonest and illegal money laundering scheme designed to transfer large sums of cash away from its intended beneficiary – the people of Malaysia,” a spokesperson for 1MDB said in the statement. 

As of September this year, Malaysia has recovered $6.06 billion linked to 1MDB, state news agency Bernama reported. 
…

your ad here

Beijing — The Chinese government protested Sunday the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is “playing with fire.”

U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Saturday the provision of up to $571 million in Defense Department material and services and in military education and training for self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory and says must come under its control. Separately, the Defense Department said Friday that $295 million in military sales had been approved.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement urged the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and stop what it called “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

U.S. military sales and assistance aim to help Taiwan defend itself and deter China from launching an attack.

The $571 million in military assistance comes on top of Biden’s authorization of $567 million for the same purposes in late September. The military sales include $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the approval of the two sales, saying in a post on X that it reaffirmed the U.S. government’s “commitment to our defense.”

In October, the U.S. approved $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, including the first-time delivery of an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, also drawing China’s criticism while Beijing has responded with war drills around Taiwan.

Taiwan earlier this month demanded that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said undermined peace and stability and disrupted international shipping and trade.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not commit to defending Taiwan if China were to invade during his presidency.

Trump has also said that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defending it against China, likening the relationship to insurance. Taiwan spends about 2.5% of its GDP on defense.
…

your ad here

BANGKOK — A Myanmar ethnic rebel group has captured a military regional command in Rakhine state, it said, in what would be a major blow to the junta. 

 

The Arakan Army had “completely captured” the western regional command at Ann on Friday after weeks of fighting, the group said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

Ann would be the second regional military command to fall to ethnic rebels in five months and a huge blow to the military.

Myanmar’s military has 14 regional commands across the country with many of them currently fighting established ethnic rebel groups or newer “People’s Defense Forces” that have sprung up to battle the military’s 2021 coup.

Fighting has rocked Rakhine state since the AA attacked security forces in November last year, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since the putsch.

AA fighters have seized swathes of territory in the state that is home to China- and India-backed port projects and all but cut off state capital Sittwe.

The AA posted photos of a man whom it said was the Ann deputy regional commander, in the custody of its fighters.

AFP was unable to confirm that information and has contacted the AA’s spokesperson for comment.

AFP was unable to reach people on the ground around Ann where internet and phone services are patchy.

In decades of on-off fighting since independence from Britain in 1948 the military had never lost a regional military command until last August, when the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army captured the northeastern command in Lashio in Shan state.

Myanmar’s borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups who have battled the military since independence for autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

Last month the U.N. warned Rakhine state was heading towards famine, as ongoing clashes squeeze commerce and agricultural production.

“Rakhine’s economy has stopped functioning,” the report from the U.N. Development Program said, projecting “famine conditions by mid-2025” if current levels of food insecurity were left unaddressed. 
…

your ad here

A new Foundation for the Defense of Democracies report warns about Beijing’s years-long efforts in establishing connections and exerting influence on state officials in the United States, an area that’s been overlooked by national security authorities on the federal level. 

Click here for the full story in Mandarin. 
…

your ad here

BANGKOK — Thailand says regional talks it hosted Friday on a stalled peace plan for Myanmar were “frank” but reached no consensus on a path forward.

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, gathered in Bangkok to discuss the Five-Point Consensus the bloc agreed to in April 2021, two months after Myanmar’s military seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. That coup sparked a civil war that has killed thousands and displaced more than 3 million people.

In addition to an immediate cessation of violence and negotiations among “all parties” to the conflict, the plan calls for the appointment of a special envoy to meet with all sides and assistance from ASEAN’s humanitarian aid agency.

Myanmar’s junta did grant a meeting last year between Suu Kyi — who has been held in custody since the coup — and Thailand’s then-foreign minister. Some aid has also trickled in via Thailand under ASEAN’s watch. But the bloc has not appointed a permanent special envoy, and there have been no meaningful negotiations between the junta and its foes as fighting shows no signs of letting up.

Friday’s talks followed a meeting in Bangkok on Thursday among Myanmar and its immediate neighbors on cross-border concerns, including crime.

After Friday’s meeting, Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura told the press that the talks between the foreign ministers of Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore were “cordial and very frank.”

The bloc’s other members sent delegates but not ministers, he added.

Bolbongse Vangphaen, director-general of Thailand’s Department of ASEAN Affairs, said the delegates agreed that the peace plan from 2021 would continue to anchor their efforts.

“The foreign ministers reaffirmed that the … Five-Point Consensus remains the main reference for ASEAN’s efforts in addressing the situation in Myanmar,” he said, adding that “all recognize that there is a need to step up efforts” to see it through. “We are aware that there are obstacles to making progress.”

As for any broad agreement on how to tackle those obstacles, however, Bolbongse said “nothing specific” came out of Friday’s talks, and that they would continue at another meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers next month.

“The meeting today was a chance for the foreign ministers and representatives to just sound out ideas and seek various approaches to see … how we could perhaps converge on some common terms to push forward,” he said. “There’s no clear approach as yet.”

David Mathieson, an independent Myanmar analyst, told VOA that Thailand was trying to create momentum on regional efforts after “another lost year of empty diplomacy.”

He called meetings among Myanmar’s immediate neighbors “crucial” now that the junta has lost control of most borders. Those meetings, he added, are potentially more useful than ASEAN, which generally acts only when all members are in agreement.

Like many of the bloc’s critics, he called the Five-Point Consensus “effectively dead” from the start.

“It’s fundamentally flawed, depending on engaging the [State Administration Council, or SAC], who don’t want to respond,” he said, using the junta’s formal title. “That’s where all these efforts will fail, ascribing the SAC with reason they don’t possess.”

Surachanee Sriyai of Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak institute agreed that the plan “has never been a viable path” out of the crisis for Myanmar, but at least gives the bloc the semblance of taking collective action while sticking to its norms of acting by consensus and staying out of each other’s affairs.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Thailand said junta officials told the group it was open to “inclusive political dialogue.” Junta officials, however, have labeled many of their opponents “terrorists” and banned dozens of political parties, including Suu Kyi’s ousted National League for Democracy.

Mathieson said any efforts to help Myanmar out of its crisis need to include both the junta and all opponents. That means not only the National Unity Government comprising ousted lawmakers, but all the revolutionary groups now aligned against the junta.

Whether together or on their own, Surachanee said, ASEAN members should cultivate relationships with those opposition groups as they continue to gain ground on the junta, which, by some estimates, now controls less than half the country.

“Plenty of [situational reports] have pointed at the SAC losing ground and the ability to govern,” she said. “In this way, countries, especially Thailand, should look to other alternative counterparts to work with.”

Following Friday’s meeting, Bolbongse said other ASEAN members were free to “engage with whichever groups that they may have influence on” and that those efforts could “complement each other.”

But by focusing their attention on dialogue with the junta, critics say the bloc and most of its members are legitimizing a regime that many if not most in Myanmar consider illegitimate.

Asked to respond to the critique, Bolbongse said Thailand was simply engaging in state-to-state dialogue.

“Whether the SAC is seen as legitimate or not, Myanmar as a whole is still a member of ASEAN, so we are engaging with Myanmar,” he said. “That’s all, thank you.”

The junta claims its military is waging a legitimate campaign of proportionate force. But numerous well-documented accounts of violence describe indiscriminate air and artillery attacks, with many destroying churches, schools and clinics. Rights groups allege repeated cases of rape, torture and murder. U.N.-appointed experts and envoys have accused the junta of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
…

your ad here

Myanmar’s recent arrest and sentencing of four Thai fishermen has heightened tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors with some analysts telling VOA the move appears to be aimed at gaining legitimacy and recognition ahead of high-level government meetings in Bangkok this week.

Earlier this week, a Myanmar court in Kawthoung sentenced the owner of a seized fishing vessel to six years in prison, and three other fisherman received four-year prison terms.

The sentencing comes as Thailand’s foreign ministry continues talks for their release and as Myanmar is the focus of high-level government meetings in Bangkok.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist in Bangkok at Chulalongkorn University tells VOA that it’s clear that Myanmar is using the fishermen to leverage its own interests.

“The detention of Thai fisherman is designed to gain leverage over the Thai government in return for more official engagement and recognition of the State Administration Council,” Thitinan said. The State Administration Council, or SAC, is the official name of Myanmar’s military led government.

“This makes Thailand look kind of weak. This has been going on for some time, it’s not the first time for sure, but suddenly it has become a thorny issue,” Thitinan said.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington who focuses on Southeast Asia politics, agrees.

“I think that the generals, in their Neanderthal-ish way, are using them to maintain Thailand’s full support,” he said, adding that it risks backfiring if they hold the fishermen too long. “The Thai government is as supportive of the junta as it could be, but there will be a public backlash at some point.”

Myanmar’s military led government has said little about the sentencing of the fishermen or when they might be released. VOA reached out to the SAC for comment but as of press has not received a response.

Fishing disputes have long been a point of friction between the two countries but late last month Myanmar’s navy fired upon 15 Thai fishing vessels on the west coast off Ranong province in southern Thailand. Both Thai and Myanmar authorities blame each other for the incident.

Dominic Thomson, regional director of Southeast Asia for the Environmental Justice Foundation, says the incident was the first of its kind in a long time.

“There have been no reports of similar incidences since at least 2015. The nature of the incident, coupled with the detention of the fishing vessels and crew is unprecedented,” he told VOA via in an emailed response earlier this month.

One Thai national drowned during the altercation, while four Thai crew members were detained along with 27 Myanmar nationals. Myanmar authorities also seized one fishing vessel, the Sor Charoenchai 8.

Fast forward two weeks and Bangkok is now hosting two meetings with representatives from Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Malaysia. The meetings are focused on border security, transnational crime, ASEAN and the Myanmar’s crisis.

The first meeting in Bangkok was held on Thursday. On Friday, a meeting centering on ASEAN’s role on Myanmar’s crisis is set to take place.

The recent maritime altercation has added to bilateral tensions between Thailand and Myanmar’s military government ahead of the meetings.

Nearly four years after the Min Aung Hlaing and his troops staged a coup in February 2021, removing the democratically elected government, Myanmar is in a state of nationwide conflict.

Over the past year, the junta has been losing territory, with pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups in coalition to defeat military rule. Over 60% of Myanmar is not under the military’s control.

At the same time, Myanmar is under increasing pressure to end the violence and hold an election next year.

Thitinan says for Thailand to engage the Myanmar junta in such a high-level way is “problematic” and that it’s no surprise that the Myanmar military is dragging the fisherman issue on.

“The question is why Thailand is suddenly giving in to this demand and leverage from the [State Administration Council]. The SAC is playing hardball here, to get recognition for legitimacy, and Thailand is playing along,” he said. The fisherman case dragging on is not surprising, the SAC is going to drag it on and milk it. It is surprising because in the medium long term it is detrimental. Engaging the SAC is very problematic because they are losing the civil war, and the future of Myanmar is not in favor of the SAC,” he added.

For their part, Thai officials have sought to play down the incident. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says relations between Myanmar and Thailand remain strong, according to She said the four fishermen will be released on January 4, which, if it goes through, will be exactly five weeks since they were detained.

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura speaking on behalf of Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa says fisherman issue has already been discussed between the two countries in Thursday’s meeting.

“Our Thai Foreign Minister also had the opportunity to have bilateral meetings with the Myanmar foreign minister. They discussed key issues such as regarding the case of the four Thai fisherman,” Nikorndej told a press conference.

“The Thai Foreign Minister receives official assurance from the Myanmar side that all four Thai nationals will be released soon. Both countries will cooperate in promoting understanding and preventing recurrence of issues of the same nature,” he said.

Thitinan, however, believes the meetings in Bangkok may not be the end of the issue.

“I would not be surprised if the Foreign Minister of Thailand Maris goes over to Naypyitaw next week or the coming days to clear up this issue,” he added.

 
…

your ad here

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Australia announced on Friday it will pay for more police in Solomon Islands and create a police training center in the South Pacific island nation’s capital, Honiara, where Chinese law enforcement instructors are already based under a bilateral security pact with Beijing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would spend 190 million Australian dollars ($118 million) over four years on funding and training new Royal Solomon Islands Police Force recruits with a package that would “reduce any need for outside support.”

“My government is proud to make a significant investment in the police force of the Solomon Islands to ensure that they can continue to take primary responsibility for security in the Solomons,” Albanese told reporters in Australia’s capital, Canberra.

Albanese and his Solomons counterpart, Jeremiah Manele, said in a joint statement on Friday the package would build an enduring security capability in the Solomons, “thereby reducing its reliance on external partners over time.”

Australia has been energetically pursuing new bilateral security deals with its Pacific island neighbors since Beijing and the Solomons signed a security deal in 2022 under Manele’s predecessor, Manasseh Sogavare.

That deal has created fears among U.S. allies including Australia that the Chinese navy will be allowed to build a base in the strategically important Solomons.

Albanese’s Labor Party, which was the opposition at the time the pact was signed, described it as Australia’s worst foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II.

Australia has recently signed security deals with Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Nauru that effectively give Canberra veto powers over any security deals those countries might want to strike with third nations, including China.

Asked if the new deal would require the Chinese security presence to be removed from the Solomons, Albanese did not directly answer.

“The Solomon Islands of course is a sovereign nation. They have some measures in place and we expect that to continue,” Albanese said.

“As a result of this agreement, what we’ve done is make sure that Australia remains the security partner of choice,” he added.

Mihai Sora, a Pacific islands expert at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, said the agreement was a “clear win for Solomon Islands, which has gained a much-needed boost to its law and justice sector.”

“But Solomon Islands has not committed to scaling back the essentially permanent rotating presence of around 14 Chinese police trainers in the country, who have been running their own parallel training program with Solomon Islands police since 2022,” Sora said in an email.

“So, the agreement falls short of a solid strategic commitment to Australia from Solomon Islands, and there’s no indication that it would derail China-Solomon Islands security ties,” Sora added.

Blake Johnson, an analyst at the Australian Security Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, said Chinese policing in the Pacific gives Beijing tools to control Chinese expatriates and pursue other goals.

“They can be very heavy-handed in their response sometimes. There are also concerns around data and privacy risks associated with Chinese police in the region,” Johnson said.

“Sometimes they’re providing surveillance equipment. There are concerns about what that is being used for and what it’s capturing,” he added.
…

your ad here

During his first press conference as president-elect, Donald Trump mentioned U.S.-China relations, stating, “China and the United States can together solve all of the problems of the world.” The remark quickly trended on Weibo, sparking discussions among Chinese netizens.

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.

 
…

your ad here

Hanoi — Police in Vietnam have arrested a man suspected of starting a blaze that killed 11 following an argument with staff in a Hanoi cafe, authorities said on Thursday, while two of seven pulled from the flames were admitted to hospital. 

In a statement, police said the man had confessed to using gasoline to set Wednesday’s fire on the ground floor of the three-story cafe, where people were also singing karaoke-style. 

The suspect is in his early 50s, said the state-run Tien Phong newspaper, adding that one witness reported hearing an explosion.  

“The fire blocked all the exits,” another witness told the paper. “The smell of gasoline was strong.”  

It took about 40 minutes to rein in the fire, reported just after 11 p.m., police added, with two of the seven rescued admitted to hospital.  

Images in an online newspaper, VnExpress, showed firemen working to douse the flames, while the bodies of several victims were carried away. 

“I noticed a column of smoke from afar,” it cited a witness as saying. “I was so frightened that I had to urge my grandchild to go downstairs.” 

“The flames were so fierce. We saw the fire … but there was nothing else we could do.” 

On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for urgent investigation and strict action against anyone who violated the law. 
…

your ad here

SYDNEY — Australian rescue and medical teams have reached Vanuatu, authorities said on Thursday, where at least 14 people including one French and two Chinese nationals were killed and hundreds were injured in a 7.3 magnitude earthquake two days ago.

France’s Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer on Thursday confirmed the death of a French national, Vincent Goiset, a resident in Vanuatu who was killed by the rubble of a collapsed building in the city center, he said in a Facebook post.

French and Australian rescue teams are searching for survivors at a collapsed building, where eight to 15 people are buried, with some confirmed dead, he wrote.

Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office said in a report the number of deaths and injuries was expected to increase, as search and rescue continues.

A Chinese woman who ran a shop on the ground floor of another collapsed building, a four-story building owned by Chinese company Kenwu Industries, had died, said Michael Mai, who works for the company. She was one of two Chinese nationals the Chinese embassy said were killed in the earthquake, he told Reuters in an interview.

“She was near to the building, very close when it collapsed,” he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would help Vanuatu restore operations at the international airport in the nation’s capital of Port Vila, which has been closed to commercial airlines because of damage.

“Additional assistance will be provided where possible, ahead of the airport reopening,” Wong said in a post on X.

About 150 Australian citizens returned home overnight on the two aircraft that delivered assistance, Wong said.

Other countries have also offered support, with a U.S. military aircraft expected to arrive on Thursday, while France sent a military helicopter with satellite communications and military engineers.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules arrived in Port Vila with rescue equipment and medics on Thursday and will assist with the evacuation of New Zealanders, New Zealand officials said.

Another New Zealand military flight had to be diverted on Wednesday evening to New Caledonia due to an engine fire warning and will be repaired on Thursday.

Disruptions to power and communication in Vanuatu are hindering rescue efforts, while UNICEF has said water contamination was a major concern.
…

your ad here

Bangkok — For many countries in Southeast Asia, Chinese investment and tourism are key to their economies. However, cheap low-quality Chinese products that are flooding markets across the region are also raising concerns about how they are undercutting local businesses, experts say.

That is forcing countries like Thailand to find ways to combat onslaught of low-priced goods.

Last year, bilateral trade between Thailand and China was more than $126 billion, with direct Chinese foreign investment heavily contributing to the Thai economy.

Three of Thailand’s main economic industries are manufacturing, agriculture and services. But manufacturing has seen a decline, with 2,000 factories closing in 2023, leading to thousands of jobs lost, according to data from the Department of Industrial Works.

Business owners have long bemoaned the fact that low-quality Chinese goods are undercutting local Thai businesses.

Bobae Shopping Mall – a retail and wholesale market in Bangkok – is one of the places where that impact is showing. With seven floors dedicated to shopping units, many have their shutters down, even though Thailand is in its peak season and Christmas is next week.

Banchob Pianphanitporn is the owner of Ben’s Socks, which is located on the fifth floor. He has owned the business for 26 years and manages four units. He has one factory in Thailand that employs 24 staff in total.

He said that over the last decade, his sales have dropped by half because of Chinese imports.

“I would say [sales are] 50% down since 10 years ago,” he told VOA.

“I sell socks for 150 baht ($4.38) per a dozen, but if this was a Chinese product, they would sell at 85 baht ($2.48). If [customers] have low budget they will say [my socks] are expensive. They don’t consider the materials, [my socks] are much better material and more flexible,” he added.

Thailand’s slow manufacturing industry has contributed to a sluggish year for the economy. Forecasts project that Thailand’s economic will grow by 2.3% – 2.8% percent in 2024, which is less than its regional neighbors. Although the Bank of Thailand forecasts a 3% growth in 2025, concerns from business owners remain.

Banchob points to several closures of units in his mall, blaming Thailand’s economy. But in an effort to remain open, he promotes his business on social media to attract more customers.

“Social media is a must. I’m on TikTok; I make much content. I have to work harder to tell people I’m still alive; Ben Sock’s made in Thailand is here,” he added.

According to Thai government spokesperson Sasikarn Wattanachan, there has been a 20 percent decrease in low-quality imports in Thailand since July. Authorities have introduced tighter inspections of cheap imports, focusing on agricultural, consumer and industrial items. Thailand has also added a 7% value added tax on goods imported that are under 1,500 baht or $43.77, the Bangkok Post has reported.

But for other sellers and store owners, they don’t see any difference.

Pam, a seller at Pretty Baby, a baby clothes store in the Bangkok mall, says the seemingly unlimited stock from Chinese manufacturers has affected sales. Pam did not want to disclose her full name fearing retaliation for speaking with the press.

“[Chinese products] are selling a lot, but we don’t have that much stock. The government still allows the products from overseas. Our sales have dropped down a little bit,” she told VOA.

For some customers, retaining regular customers is key to beating cheaper alternatives.

Prang is part-owner of V.C. shop, a clothing store which specializes in loose-fitting clothing known as elephant pants.

“The hard advertising from Chinese people [on social media] has had a big effect,” she told VOA. Prang too did not want to give her full name.

“Pants can sell here for 70 baht ($2.04) but Chinese sell for 50 baht ($1.46). In the past we can tell [the difference] between Thai and China products, now China copies look 99 percent the same. We cannot fight with the costs, but we are confident on our material and quality, and we can keep our customers,” she added.

It’s not just Thailand that is trying to reduce low-quality imports. A growing number of countries across Asia are looking for ways to protect local manufacturers and trade.

In India, a proposed temporary tax of 25% on steel imports is likely to be imposed to curb cheaper alternatives from China and boost production from Indian manufacturers, the Reuters news agency reported on December 17.

And in Indonesia, protests against Chinese imports have prompted Jakarta to propose a 200% tariff on certain imported clothing and ceramic goods, to protect small and medium enterprises.

Vietnam also relies heavily on China in trade. Beijing is Hanoi’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to more than $171 billion in 2023. Although both governments share communist ideologies and a 1,287-kilometer land border, Vietnam is also acting to combat China’s cheap imports.

In late November, Hanoi banned Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu after the two companies failed to meet a business registration deadline with the Vietnamese government. But local businesses in Vietnam have long voiced concern over discounted products and the sale of counterfeit items from the retailer.

“Cheap Chinese imports from platforms like Shein and Temu are flooding Vietnam’s markets, squeezing local producers and sparking outrage over unfair competition,” Nguyen Khac Giang, Visiting Fellow at ISEAS, told VOA.

“In response the government is cracking down by scrapping VAT exemptions, tightening oversight, and banning platforms which do not register in Vietnam. It’s a bold move to rein in Chinese e-commerce giants and defend local businesses, but I think the fight is far from over,” he added.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington who focuses on Southeast Asia politics, says both Thailand and Vietnam may also have another motive.

“China produces on an economy of scale that no one in Southeast Asia can, their productions costs are lower for most products. I think what you see Thailand and Vietnam doing now is trying to court Chinese investment for local production, to create local product ecosystems. But neither is willing to take China head on and accuse them of unfair trading practices,” he told VOA.
…

your ad here