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CLEARLY the Japanese government does not think it has too much on its plate trying to secure support at home and abroad for its plan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the America-led free-trade zone. According to Motohisa Furukawa, minister for national policy, Japan’s decision to prepare the ground for TPP entry has stoked China’s interest in a trilateral free-trade agreement with Japan and South Korea. In the past, he observed
Russia today squeezes New Zealand closer to being a pivotal pawn in Moscow’s foreign policy strategy for the Asia-Pacific region.
Today’s “consultations plan” signed with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov formalises bilateral cooperation for another two years, a positive step towards improved relations and trade development between both countries.
Malaysia has the potential to be the hub of a new Economic Growth Triangle, encompassing China, South-East Asia, India and the Middle East.
The China-Asean-India-Middle East partnership would create huge business and investment opportunities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Europe's crippling debt crisis dominated the world's foremost gathering of business and political leaders, but for the first time the growing inequality between the planet's haves and have-nots became an issue, thanks largely to the Arab Spring uprisings, the Occupy movement, and other protests around the globe.
The European Union is rewarding Burma's moves toward political reform by easing some sanctions against the regime.
The EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday on a "first step", ending the visa ban on the president and top government officials.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he hoped EU foreign ministers would be able to agree at a meeting on Monday to an easing of sanctions on Myanmar in response to reforms by the government, including the release of political prisoners.
Lacklustre economic expansion from emerging markets in Q4 as manufacturing weakness negates services activity
Shares in Malaysian-based ISP MyKris have risen in their first 24 hours of trading.
Two trades, for a total of 25,000 shares have gone through at 28c a share, up from the company's Tuesday debut price of 25c a share.
The High Court here yesterday acquitted and discharged Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, after a trial which lasted almost two years.
Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah cited the lack of evidence corroborating Saiful’s testimony and the possibility that the DNA samples were compromised as the reasons for acquitting and discharging Anwar.
A Malaysian court has acquitted the country's opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, of sodomy charges in a shock ruling that could fast-forward the former deputy prime minister's political comeback ahead of an expected election this year.
AFTER more than two years of sordid revelations in the media, legal wrangling and political point-scoring, on January 9th the High Court in Malaysia’s capital finally handed down a verdict in Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case: not guilty.
Singaporeans are being invited to buy units in three Auckland apartment blocks which desperate Blue Chip victims are trying to escape from via a Supreme Court ruling, due out any day.
Indonesia's participation in the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) presents opportunities for local importers and exporters, HSBC says.
The bank said Indonesia, which will become part of the FTA today, is set to become one of New Zealand's 10 fastest-growing trade corridors.
Blink and you might have missed it, but from this month New Zealand businesses will have greater and easier access to the fourth largest country in the world - and it's practically on our doorstep.
Indonesia completed the domestic procedures required to enter the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) in November - the last Asean member state to formally agree to implement the agreement. The FTA will come into force on Tuesday.
Here I’d first like to acknowledge Sid Myer, Group Chairman of Asialink and the Asia Society – and of course a leader in philanthropy in Australia – along with Jenny McGregor, Asialink and the Asia Society’s Group CEO.
Richard Woolcott, Founding Director, Asia Society AustralAsia Centre, one of this country’s most eminent diplomats.
As expected, the media and other observers eagerly watched for statements from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN Regional Forum foreign ministers on developments in the South China Sea. They waited in particular to gauge the belligerence with which the US Secretary of State would assert her interest in those developments and the vehemence with which the Chinese foreign minister would press China’s claims in the area.
The U.S. Department of Commerce launched a report on its National Export Strategy on June 28, 2011 that included Vietnam among a list of key focus markets.
According to the report for U.S. Congress, the key markets of Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey all have large populations, high growth, favorable business environments, and many potential opportunities
Indonesia’s recent entry into the ranks of middle-income economies and its ratification of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) means it is becoming a more attractive place to do business for New Zealand companies.
Thailand’s economy continues along the path of success, as the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) reports that the first quarter of 2011 shows GDP growth of 3%, following a seasonally adjusted growth of 2% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
According to figures released by the General Statistics Office (GSO) on June 24, Vietnam’s CPI in June increased 1.09 percent compared to May, 13.29 percent compared to December 2010, and 20.82 percent against June 2010
Vietnamese central bank governor Nguyen Van Giau expressed confidence on Monday in government steps to curb soaring inflation, days after raising key policy rates for the second time in a month in the face of stubbornly high prices.
Giau declined to say how much he expected inflation, which hit a 28-month high in April, to dent gross domestic product growth. The government is targeting 7-7.5 percent growth, but many economists say that range may be unattainable.
China will support ASEAN as a driving force in a regional architecture with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao reiterating that the world’s second-largest economy was not a threat to anyone.
In a speech here Saturday, Wen said cooperation among countries in East Asia could grow well only if ASEAN was the dominant player, a statement seemingly aimed at fending off the idea of using the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a nucleus of wider Asia-Pacific cooperation.
Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he plans to dissolve the House of Representatives by Friday and call what he described as a landmark election for the Southeast Asian country, which has been plagued by deep and sometimes deadly political divisions.
The Vietnamese government’s monetary policy seems to have been stuck in a dilemma. While raising interest rates and restricting lending amounts seem to be the common ways to exacerbate the high inflation rate, the reduction in loan issuance is directly hurting the business operation and development of the country’s small and medium sized enterprises
Vietnam’s government aims to boost the nation’s shipping volume by more than 400 percent over the next 10 years by investing heavily in its ports.
The emergent Southeast Asian economy is channeling billions of dollars into building ports for container ships in a move to draw export-oriented industry from China.
On 11 January 2011 Vietnam’s governing Communist Party (CPV) convened its five-yearly congress: a gathering of the country’s political elite to renew leadership and affirm legitimacy in the one-party state.
China has announced plans to build a high-speed railway linking the southern Chinese Guangxi Zhaung autonomous region with Singapore via Vietnam, according to China Daily.
China's imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rose 44.8 percent to $154.56 billion in 2010, said the General Administration of Customs on Thursday.
Minimum wages at both local and foreign firms in Vietnam have increased by VND100,000 and VND370,000 per month, respectively.
Depending on region, with urban areas having a higher minimum wage, local companies are required to pay a monthly minimum of VND830,000 to VND1,350,000 per month, while foreign companies must pay VND1.1 million to VND1.55 million a month
Vietnam’s State Securities Commission is looking to increase the minimum capital requirement for companies wanting to list on the nations bourses
Vietnam Electricity has said it plans to generate 112.6 billion kilowatt-hours of power this year, up 16 percent from 2010, and it will buy electricity from China to ease its shortage.
All too frequently Vietnam’s capital is plagued by power blackouts. Hotel lifts get stuck, and even the espresso machines in Hanoi’s Parisian-style cafés splutter to a halt. Many thought this fast-developing country had left such symptoms behind.
Singapore Airlines is to continue its daily service to Christchurch through the winter, rather than reducing to five flights a week from the end of March as it did previously.
Presenting an opportunity for investors, Vietnam’s banking industry seeks to apply more advanced information technology and security infrastructure in the near future, the government said on Thursday
A lot has been said about the importance of Asia to tourism in New Zealand today and into the next decade. I’ve noticed, as a sector, we’re good at talking about it, but, how much is being done to ensure we get a share of this growing market?
For the past decade, Americans dialing customer service have stood a strong chance of being connected to someone in India. Now they're more likely to end up phoning the Philippines. Although the country got a slow start in outsourcing, strong government support, a plentiful supply of English-speaking college grads, and an effort by call center operators to diversify have helped the Philippines overtake India in call center revenues. "It's not that we are trying to take business away from India," says Oscar Sañez, chief executive officer of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, an industry group. "We're just looking for our own place in the sun."
Plans have been laid to create 11 new industrial zones and high tech parks in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi over the next five years in a bid to attract further domestic and foreign investment, Nguyen Xuan Chinh, head of the Hanoi Industrial and Export Processing Zone Management Board, said on Thursday
Indonesia is appealing for foreign investors in palm oil and cocoa processing sectors due to its abundant raw materials, associations say.
Head of the quality control division of the Indonesian Cacao Board, Misnawi, said Friday that Indonesia, the world’s third largest cacao producer, offered wide opportunities for foreign investors to invest in the cacao processing sector in the country.
Heavy traffic congestion, regular flooding, clean- water shortages and unaffordable land have prompted discourse on relocating the capital city.
In an effort to make Vietnam a low carbon economy by 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced on Monday that it will be introducing new measures that will further develop renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and biomass power
Having lived in Indonesia since 1977, James Castle has more than three decades of experience working in Southeast Asia. He is the founder of CastleAsia, a business consultancy specialising in market-entry strategies, economic and political analysis and public policy advocacy.
New Zealand importers including The Warehouse face supply disruption out of China as authorities there enforce rolling factory shutdowns to save power.Manufacturing for New Zealand companies in Vietnam has also been hit, with one importer predicting worse problems and the prospect of rising prices next year.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Yokohama, Japan is expected to adopt a new growth strategy aimed at accelerating regional economic integration. Issues to be discussed would probably include trade and investment; and efforts to promote sustainable, inclusive and balanced development, and expedite structural reforms that will unleash entrepreneurship and innovation as well as address structural imbalances, much like the recent G20 agenda.
Trade and investment are crucial elements in the global recovery, which is a necessary condition for resuming our own growth. However, in spite of its benefits, trade is often an extremely contentious political issue, both domestically and between governments. The British historian Thomas Macaulay had this paradox in mind when he said that “Free trade, one of the greatest blessings which a government can confer on a people, is in almost every country unpopular.” That was back in 1824, yet it still rings true today.
China has led an Asian backlash against measures by the United States to kick start economic recovery, which have stoked concerns that a flood of loose money could destabilize regional economies. The U.S. Federal Reserve said Wednesday it would pump $600 billion into the economy through debt purchases -effectively printing money-to boost employment and growth.
Indonesia saw foreign direct investment jump 32 percent to Rp 111.1 trillion ($12.4 billion), excluding oil and gas, and banking, in the first nine months of the year, with the property sector attracting the most investment.
Indonesia's efforts to improve its business climate and attract more investment may seem to be in top gear, but neighboring countries are sprinting past, a World Bank-endorsed study shows.
The Maori word Ohau, the brand name under which Peter Healy markets his wine throughout Asia, sounds like "everything is excellent" when heard by Mandarin speakers.But while Healy and Ohau Gravels are making inroads into the enormous Chinese market, he is finding things are generally much better south of the border in Vietnam.
Prime Minister John Key has arrived in Vietnam to attend the East Asia Summit.He was greeted on arrival in Ho Chi Minh city by Vietnamese officials and New Zealand Ambassador Heather Riddell.Mr Key was then whisked through the city streets in a motorcade.There had been some minor drama onboard Mr Key's Air Force 757 when a weather radar failed.The device helps pilots detect and avoid turbulence. It was feared the plane might have to return to Darwin - where it had made a brief stop to change crew - or land in Brunei.
On his way to a meeting of regional leaders at the East Asia Summit Prime Minister John Key will pause in Vietnam's largest city to pitch the trade opportunities associated with the 2011 rugby World Cup.The Prime Minister departs for the summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi today but on the way he will stop off in Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial hub of the country and home to many New Zealand businesses.
It's business time. Prime Minister John Key will spend tonight wining and dining with world leaders but for this morning his focus is on commerce - more specifically New Zealand businesses operating in Vietnam and the opportunities the Southeast Asian nation provides for exporters.Mr Key arrived in Vietnam last night and travels to Hanoi this afternoon for the East Asia Summit. While there he will hold formal meeting with many of his counterparts and informal 'pull-asides' with many more.
Vietnam’s first wind power turbine production factory, a US$61 million dollar project, was inaugurated at the Nomura Industrial Zone in the port city of Haiphong on October 15.Invested in by General Electric, the factory is the first step of a larger initiative to address growing global demand for clean energy sources
Despite a 19.1 percent rise in exports this year, Vietnam’s government on Wednesday projected that the country’s trade deficit will grow to US$13.5 billion this year, putting pressure on the authorities to once again devalue the dong.Vietnam’s dong has already seen three devaluations over the last year, with the last one coming on August 17, but the country’s large trade and budget deficits, in addition to low foreign exchange reserves, make it vulnerable to another devaluation.
Stock exchange operator NZX will have to carefully assess the opportunities and threats of the proposed takeover of the Australian Securities Exchange by the Singapore exchange, NZX managing director Mark Weldon says."It's very easy to jump to dramatic conclusions whenever there is a major corporate transaction of any kind," Weldon told NZPA.
IN RECENT weeks the world economy has been on a war footing, at least rhetorically. Ever since Brazil’s finance minister, Guido Mantega, declared on September 27th that an “international currency war” had broken out, the global economic debate has been recast in battlefield terms, not just by excitable headline-writers, but by officials themselves. Gone is the fuzzy rhetoric about co-operation to boost global growth. A more combative tone has taken hold (see article). Countries blame each other for distorting global demand, with weapons that range from quantitative easing (printing money to buy bonds) to currency intervention and capital controls.
PKE sold by Fonterra subsidiary RD1 is imported from a single responsible source, Wilmar International. Wilmar International http://www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability/index.htm practices a “no burn” policy, respects designated conservation areas, employs wildlife protection experts and is a leading member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Wilmar is on target to complete certification audits for all their plantation operations by 2014. Final certification is dependent on the RSPO approval process.
Thailand’s economy expanded more than estimated last quarter as surging exports countered the impact of political turmoil, supporting gains in the nation’s currency and stocks
The Asian Development Bank raised its forecast for the region’s economic growth this year, crediting a rapid recovery in exports even as it warned the risk of another recession in advanced countries had not completely receded.
Developing Asia's robust recovery from the global crisis is gaining further momentum, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says in its annual flagship economic publication Asian Development Outlook 2010 Update, released today.
The first meeting of a working group to prepare a free-trade agreement between Viet Nam and Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was held here yesterday.The agreement is expected to bring benefits to an area covering 20 million square kilometres, with a population of 253 million people and a GDP of US$1,505 billion.
The Internet poses a challenge for authoritarian regimes around the world. But Vietnam's leaders think they have figured out a new way to tame it—by launching their own, Communist-friendly answer to popular social-networking sites like Facebook.
Vietnam is working towards improving its trade process with a single window customs pilot project backed by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.“This pilot project will help to increase revenue, enforce trade compliance regulations and reduce the cost of cargo movement into Vietnam, an increasingly important partner for the United States in Southeast Asia,” U.S. Ambassador Michael W. Michalak said when the US$718,600 grant was signed on September 15
Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises are the fourth most optimistic in the region that the Asia-Pacific economy will continue to grow, according to an annual report conducted by the market research firm TNS.
Singapore Airlines, the world's second-largest carrier by market capitalisation, said it will equip long-range wide-body planes with internet and phone-message access to meet growing demand from business travellers.
Malaysia does not see China as indulging in power projection but it does want to engage with major powers to achieve a balance in the region, according to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.Najib said as a former defense minister, he believes China is not really indulging in power projection. “Its military buildup does not indicate it is moving in that direction,” the prime minister told a group of Council on Foreign Relations members on Tuesday.
Southeast Asian and US leaders issued a joint statement aimed to bring their relations to a new height during talks at the second ASEAN-US Leaders' Summit on Saturday.
They also welcomed a rebound of trade between the two sides, said the statement, citing a 28-per cent increase in two-way ASEAN – US trade in goods in the first six months of this year.
Thailand’s exports rose for the 10th consecutive month in August as the baht’s appreciation to a 13-year high failed to curb demand for the country’s automobile parts and electronics.Shipments increased 23.9 percent last month from a year earlier to $16.5 billion, Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok today. The median estimate of 12 economists in a Bloomberg News survey was for a 23.5 percent gain.
United Nations-backed war-crimes court formally indicted four former Khmer Rouge leaders on September 16th. Their trial, set to begin next year, will be the second of its kind. In July Comrade Duch, the commandant of an infamous prison, was handed a 35-year sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity, reduced to 19 years against time served and a period of illegal detention. Next in the dock are the Khmers Rouges’ chief ideologue, Nuon Chea, their former head of state, Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Sary and his wife, Ieng Thirith, both ministers in their government. The four stand charged, like Duch, with war crimes and crimes against humanity—and also with genocide. The court’s new charge should prove most contentious yet.
The Korea-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in 2007 has significantly increased trade between the two sides, a Korean foreign ministry official said.Speaking at the Korea-ASEAN FTA Forum in HCM City on Thursday, Lee Yun Young, deputy director general for FTA Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said trade expanded by over 23 per cent in 2008, the first year after the treaty came into force.
For much of April and May, Bangkok’s Rajprasong shopping district was taken over by a raucous protest movement that was eventually quashed by the army. On Sunday, four months after that episode ended in bloodshed, the “red shirts” were back. Several thousand showed up to chant anti-government slogans, release red balloons, tie ribbons on lampposts and call for justice and democracy. If you squinted, and ignored the charred shopping centre torched during the clashes, it was a vision of the April demonstrations. But Sunday’s influx of protesters did not linger. By evening, the crowd had drifted away, having made their point: the red shirts are back.
China is facing increasing competition from other Southeast Asian nations as regional growth both expands and creates alternative investment markets.While global growth overall decreased by 2.1 percent last year and global trade dropped off by 11.6 percent, countries in Asia fared far better, with only Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand showing negative growth, and these by relatively small margins. That has turned around completely for 2010, with none of the ASEAN members still showing a recessionary position. In all cases across Asia, GDP growth has been robust, and along with it, signs that China especially is also facing increased competition from ASEAN neighbors in chasing lucrative foreign investment
Global investors have named Vietnam as one of the most attractive investment destinations beyond the BRIC markets, according to a report released by the U.K. Trade and Investment and Economist Intelligence Unit (UKTI).
Vietnam is considered the most attractive investment destination in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by American companies, according to survey results announced by the American Chamber of Commerce last month.
The country’s flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, has announced it will slash fares on domestic flights by 50 percent from September 15 to October 30.The heavily discounted rates will include routes coming from the capital, Hanoi and the financial center, Ho Chi Minh City. The discounted prices will range from VND400,000 to VND860,000 per flight following the routes below.
Starting today, Vietnamese international airports will scrap entry and exit procedures for passengers, including Vietnamese expatriates and foreigners, to ease congestion and clearance delays.
Indonesia is confident it can increase annual bilateral trade with China by 66 percent to US$50 billion over the next three to five years from current levels of roughly US$20 billion according to Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu.
Indonesia has been identified as one of the top markets for global investors, according to new research published by UK Trade & Investment.The ‘Great Expectations: Doing business in emerging markets’ report offers new insights from international investors about which markets they see as being the global growth engines of the future
Might president and chief executive officer Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman said the study to determine the direction of the sector will be presented to Prime Minister and National Innovation Council chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
ASIAN economies are likely to give way to a series of disappointing industrial production and export data in the next nine to 12 months, says a regional economist.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, paid a courtesy call on the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Yang Jiechi in Beijing to discuss ASEAN-China's dialogue partnership and other issues of mutual interest
A draft law to protect migrant workers and better regulate the labour recruitment industry has been finalised, a Labour Ministry official announced yesterday.
The Aquino administration plans to construct a mass rail system that will link to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3). Rafael Rodriguez, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) administrator, said. The rail link project entails construction of a 6.2-kilometer spur line from the Baclaran station of the existing LRT Line 1.
Vietnam is the second largest beer market in the Southeast Asian region with 1.6 billion liters consumed last year after Cambodia
The country’s largest container seaport, Tan Cang-Cai Mep, will open its second phase later this year; allowing it to receive ships with a loading capacity of up to 110,000 tons.
In Wellington you discuss the weather and in Auckland the property market - Malaysians bond over food.
The decree will also waive tax on imported raw materials or appliances for specific investment sectors or those not made in the country five years after production date
AS A policeman ineffectually sledgehammered the windows of a hijacked bus, in a desperate effort to reach 15 hostages trapped inside, it became sickeningly clear that a rescue operation had gone dreadfully wrong. More than an hour later the police got in by opening the emergency exit, and found proof of their bungling: eight of the 15 hostages, all Hong Kong tourists, had been shot dead, as had the hostage-taker, a former policeman.
Kiwifruit battler Turners & Growers is to appeal last week’s High Court ruling in favour of export giant Zespri.Last week the High Court in Auckland declined a first cause of action and struck out two others taken by T&G.T&G chairman Tony Gibbs said the company had reviewed the judgment over the weekend and would lodge its appeal as soon as possible.
Vietnamese exporters may face tougher restrictions this year as countries employ trade remedies to address anti-dumping and countervailing issues on items produced by importing countries according to trade experts.
JULY 19, 2010, must become a pivotal date in our history. We must mark it as the moment we finally realised we had to radically change the way we do business.If we don't, we will continue to limp along happy with the crumbs our current businesses throw off.
Chinese companies should look for more cooperation opportunities with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to realize the full advantages of the free trade agreement between the two, government officials said on Monday
The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday lauded China for the significant role it has played in reviving global trade growth and said the nation has more than fulfilled its commitment to the organization.The WTO said in its annual report released on Friday that it expects global trade to grow by 10 percent this year.
Increasing New Zealand's trade with Vietnam and maximising the value of aid to the southeast Asian nation were the priorities of Prime Minister John Key's just-completed trip here. Mr Key also hopes that by improving the economic relationship and building on 35 years of diplomatic relations, New Zealand can help Vietnam overcome its appalling human rights record.
SINGAPORE - Singapore expects its economy to soar 15 per cent this year after surging manufacturing fuelled a record expansion in the second quarter.
Jul. 14 – The General Department of Customs will offer its e-customs services to 12 more offices as a way of encouraging companies to use the service.This will bring the total number of offices with the e-customs service around the country to 36. Eventually authorities aim to offer the service in 70 percent of their offices as part of Project 30 to simplify administrative procedures and improve investment process for both foreign and local businesses.
HANOI, Jul. 9 – The 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meetings will take place in Hanoi from July 19-23 and are set to examine ways in which the ASEAN charter can be better implemented and the new administrative apparatus used to better forge links between members
Cementing New Zealand's relationship with Vietnam through trade, aid and our bid for a spot on the United Nations' Security Council has been the aim of Prime Minister John Key's trip to the southeast Asian nation.
Wilmar International is to pay A$1.75 billion ($2.14 billion) to buy the sugar assets of Australian conglomerate CSR, including its stake in the New Zealand Sugar Company - owner of the Chelsea brand and Birkenhead refinery.
New Zealand's next Ambassador to Egypt will be career diplomat David Strachan, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.
The Asian workforce in New Zealand is growing at a rate where it will make up 15 per cent of the country's total workforce by 2026, new research shows.
“Building these bridges and these connections with Asia is absolutely vital” - Case Study Te Puke High School
The list of projects includes the country’s third oil refinery, the Long Son oil refinery in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. The US$7 billion project is now looking for new investors after Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA stepped out the project.
THE inauguration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino as the Philippines’ new president on June 30th looked less like a ceremony of state than the climax of a revolution.
Cuddly pandas, deadly torpedoes and Chinese food safety will be among the talking points when Prime Minister John Key travels to Asia next week.
An informative newsletter from Export New Zealand.
Vietnam will waive visa fees for foreign visitors to the country from August to September as part of the “Impressive Vietnam Grand Sale 2010” campaign.
An all-out massacre in the capital has been avoided, but Thailand is not beyond the risk of civil war
AUT journalism graduate Claire Rorke remembers her experience at the Jakarta Globe in September 2009. She was an on an Asia New Zealand Foundation-supported internship there for four weeks.
The Aquino family has a second shot at running South-East Asia’s laggard
Foreign contractors are subject to withholding tax on payments for work done in the country based on contracts signed between them and Vietnamese partners.
WITH its three high-rise towers topped by a sweeping open-air SkyPark, the Marina Bay Sands casino, which opened on April 27th, is a striking addition to the Singapore skyline. It also symbolises an interesting, and potentially risky, new phase in the city-state’s highly successful government-led industrial policy.
Vietnam signed trade deals with China’s east province of Jiangsu during the China-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Forum held in Nanjing on April 27.
When I took up the appointment in 2007 I wasn’t given any specific objectives, other than maintaining the good relations that have marked our 50 years presence in Wellington, and improving Indonesia’s profile.
After a riot on April 10th which left 23 Thais dead, a tense stand-off has ensued on the streets of Bangkok, paralysed for the past several weeks by red-shirted anti-government protesters.
Thai anti-government protesters have built formidable barricades of tyres and sharpened bamboo canes in Bangkok as tensions build in the capital.
The Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) has vowed to crack down on red shirt demonstrators if they attempt to occupy Silom Road or other Bangkok thoroughfares
Singapore has reported a rise in exports of more than a quarter as shipments of electronic goods to the rest of Asia jumped sharply.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has released the latest draft of regulations on pilot Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects for infrastructure development.
New Zealand’s ASEAN business community will likely see more networking events following positive feedback from delegates at the first forum held in Auckland recently.
The second round of Track II discussions between the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (DAV) and a New Zealand team convened by the Asia New Zealand Foundation took place in Wellington on 22 and 23 March 2010.
One of Vietnam's major advantages is its large, skilled and inexpensive labor force that makes it an attractive destination for foreign investors.
From the moment Abhisit Vejjajiva was elected Prime Minister of Thailand by a special vote of Parliament in 2008, the British-born, Eton-educated politician has been fighting off one crisis after another.
Companies operating in Vietnam should be aware that the Vietnamese government has delayed the schedule for quarterly payments of corporate income tax for 2010.
Former prime minister and palace insider Anand Panyarachun epitomizes the ammataya, or aristocratic elite, that Thailand's red shirt-wearing United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) protest group claims to be up against in a "class war" for democracy.
Fletcher Building CEO Jonathan Ling outlined his thoughts on doing business in Asia at the latest Action Asia Business Leaders seminar at KPMG’s Auckland office on 18 March.
Following customs procedures when importing or exporting goods in Vietnam is one of the vital aspects of doing business in a country where manufacturing costs are leveraged to its favor.
FOR decades Thai politics suffered from a surfeit of pragmatism. Indeed, grimy compromises were dignified as “Thai solutions”. Parties tussled over the perks of office, without letting policies or principles get in the way.
Only one third of secondary school heads of department say they have included some Asia-specific topics in their teaching programmes over the past two years, says a new Asia New Zealand Foundation report.
Tim Groser is fond of this statistic: that the increase in exports to China last year was the same as that year's total exports to Korea. That analogy says much about east Asia's growing indispensability to our Polynesian and British outlier nation.
New Zealand's next Ambassador to Indonesia will be career diplomat David Taylor, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said.
"Indonesia is an important partner for New Zealand, both bilaterally and as a leading democracy in South East Asia, and we need to continue to strengthen our growing, broad-based relationship," Mr McCully said.
Northern Thai Nguyen Province is being groomed to become a major metallurgy, mechanical manufacturing and precision engineering hub in the country.
As the government prepares to celebrate Hanoi’s 1,000 year anniversary in October, plans to slowly expand the capital city have already begun since 2008.
The results of the latest Perceptions of Asia survey are available now. Conducted by Colmar Brunton in August and September 2009.
Expansion into Asia is on the cards for international resin manufacturer Nuplex Industries, which reported record profits last week.
Authorities want to target US$180 million worth of new investment projects for 2010, an increase of 37.62 percent compared to the previous year.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance is now allowing foreign firms in the country to choose the currency unit they want to use for accounting purposes.
Mike Moore, a former Labour prime minister who has headed the World Trade Organisation, is to be New Zealand's next ambassador to the United States.
The Transportation Ministry is set to issue a ministerial decree that will declare five international airports in the country subject to the ASEAN open sky agreement.
The Chinese central bank surprised the markets last week by raising the interest rate slightly on its three-month bills from 1.3280% to 1.3684%. This is the first rate increase since August and signaled an effort by Beijing to reduce asset-price inflation after a record surge in credit.
An Islamic group seeking to offer New Zealand businesses a "globally recognised" halal certification is being criticised by the NZ Federation of Islamic Associations, which says the Southeast Asian organisation does not have the resources to do inspections here.
Asean is attempting to redefine the collaborative marketing of the region as a tourism destination with support from the United States.
Vietnam attracted US$21.48 billion in foreign direct investment in 2009, the Foreign Investment Department for Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment said on Sunday.
Vietnam will soon raise the ceiling on foreign ownership in local businesses from 30 percent to 49 percent, says deputy chairman of the State Securities Commission (SSC) Nguyen Doan Hung during a workshop sponsored by Euromoney and the Ministry of Finance.
Strategic advisory firm, Tholons has included Ho Chi Minh City in its annual report of Top 6 Established Global Outsourcing Cities for Software Testing for the second year in a row.
Thailand is a market of 66.4 million and was until recently one of New Zealand’s fastest growing export destinations. Two New Zealand companies, with the country firmly in their sights, passed on their insights to Mike Booker.
The first thing you will remember on your drive out of Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport might also be the last thing you see as you leave the city - the motorcycles.
With Vietnam dealing with the slowing effects of the global economic crisis, it is not all bad news as it maintains its post as one of the top destinations of foreign direct investment in the region according to the Asean Business Council.
Resins manufacturer Nuplex says its Asian businesses are showing strong earnings growth with increasing demand and lower costs a key factor.
China and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have pledged to improve agricultural cooperation to help improve economic development and to prevent a food crisis.
John Key says the signing of a free trade deal with Malaysia is another vital move towards a "step change" for the New Zealand economy.
SINGAPORE - Singapore's economy has surged for a second straight quarter in the July-to-September period as manufacturing leads the city-state out of recession.
Economists are revising their growth forecasts upwards for the coming year – and also bringing forward their predictions of when the Reserve Bank will begin lifting interest rates.
Malaysia's timber exports are expected to dip 13 per cent to RM20 billion this year from RM23 billion in 2008 due to the global economic slowdown.
Consumers are less optimistic about Indonesia’s economy as the government plans to raise the prices for electricity and the use of toll roads, a central bank survey reveals.
Rupiah rapid gains against the greenback, despite concerns over negative impacts on trade balance and debt payments, is acceptable while in line with fundamentals, the Finance Minister says.
With their recent free trade agreement already showing signs of success, India and Thailand are poised to further expand their FTA pact beyond goods to new areas of services and investments with focus on further consolidating their economic ties.
Auto sales in Vietnam surged 104 percent in September from a year earlier after a 31 percent increase in August, an industry report said on Wednesday.
The State Bank of Vietnam will probably increase its key rate by 400 basis points to 11 percent by the end of 2010, HSBC said in a report Tuesday.
Globalisation has produced more wealth in the past 60 years than the rest of history put together.
Hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of extreme poverty. A recession, even a depression, means de-globalisation and that will cost millions of people hope and opportunity.
Following an accelerated third quarter, the International Monetary Fund said its latest growth estimate for Vietnam may be revised upward.
The timing couldn't be better for the release of a telling report from the World Trade Organisation about the explosion of protectionist measures implemented by its members since the beginning of the global economic crisis a year ago.
The Ministry of Finance has issued a new circular announcing that those working at Vietnamese economic zones (EZs) are qualified for a 50 percent tax reduction of their annual income tax.
The European Union (EU) and Asean will set up a trade centre in Thailand to boost trade between the blocs.
INDONESIA’S police chief, General Bambang Hendarso Danuri, can probably be forgiven his air of triumphalism in confirming on Friday September 18th that officers had killed Noordin Mohammed Top, the most wanted terrorist in Indonesia, and perhaps in South-East Asia.
AUTUMN in Thailand is coup season. Three years ago the prime minister at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, flew to New York for the United Nations General Assembly as rumours circulated in Bangkok of a plot against him.
Palm oil prices will rise as a shortage in the world's cheapest edible oil is harder to remedy than the current shortage of soyabeans, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland Asia Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd (RBS) said.
The biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history lies at anchor east of Singapore. Never before photographed, it is bigger than the U.S. and British navies combined but has no crew, no cargo and no destination - and is why your Christmas stocking may be on the light side this year.
It will now be easier for Vietnamese businesses to import more goods from Japan when the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) takes effect in October.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is inviting submissions on possible negotiations on services and government procurement under the Thailand - New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement.
The closing date for submissions is 30 September 2009.
COUNTRIES generally hit the headlines only when the news is bad. In Indonesia it has often been spectacularly bad. A decade ago there were fears that the country might disintegrate in a welter of violence, piracy and mass migration...
The visit of the Secretary-General of ASEAN to New Zealand from 6 to 11 September 2009 has laid the ground for enhanced dialogue relations with New Zealand.
Vietnamese companies are encouraged to invest in Laos to boost its socio-economic development, said President Nguyen Minh Triet during an investment promotion conference on Laos in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday...
Like a number of its Asian neighbours, the Philippines has begun to rebound from the economic downturn. In the three months to June, year-on-year real GDP growth recovered to 1.5% from 0.6% in the first quarter...
Ambassador James Kember, who concluded his posting to Viet Nam on 26 August, has been awarded Vietnam’s medal “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” in recognition of his contributions to the promotion of friendship and cooperation between....
Thailand plans to sell off large stakes in two small banks with the incentive that foreign investors could gain management control.
The government acquired the stakes in Siam City Bank and ACL Bank in the aftermath of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.
A potential ban on New Zealand $100 million in beef exports to Indonesia from October 1 has been postponed until next year.
Indonesian officials say there are "strong indications" a key wanted fugitive was behind Friday's deadly attacks on two hotels in Jakarta.
The Jakarta Post Indonesia’s healthy economic growth and market resilience will sustain the damaging impact of blasts that ripped through the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels on Friday, analysts said…
The Jakarta Post
Three separate explosions – two of them bombing and another possibly triggered by a short circuit – rocked and shocked the capital Friday morning, killing nine people …
Economist Intelligence Unity
Singapore's export-oriented economy, one of the most exposed to the global downturn, rebounded in spectacular fashion in the second quarter, according to a preliminary government estimate...
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