Government
Abe vies with China for influence over ASEAN gateways
The warm welcome afforded Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, here on November 2 underscores Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s eagerness to counter Chinese overtures to a country, like the Philippines, of great geopolitical importance in Southeast Asia. Abe greeted Suu Kyi at the ...
China needs 'lose-win' diplomacy in ASEAN
Scanning the regional landscape on November 3, South-east Asian states ought to be quite optimistic about the state of ASEAN-China relations just as the year closes on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their dialogue partnership. ASEAN and China have agreed to a series of ...
Revised charter submitted to govt
The new constitution with a revised preamble has been submitted to the government for royal endorsement, the chief charter drafter said on November 2. Constitution Drafting Commission chairman Meechai Ruchupan said two changes have been made to reflect the current situation following the passing of ...
Spectrum licences up for grabs
The government announced on November 2 that it will hold its first public auction for 4G spectrum frequencies, with two licences up for bid on frequencies reassigned after their original licence-holders failed to utilise them. The two licences cover the 800 MHz and 2600 MHz band ...
PM vows zero tolerance of financial misconduct
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly this week that the ongoing violations of financial regulations by various state departments must be addressed and those found guilty punished. The premier was responding to questions raised by members of parliament concerning possible solutions to the ...
ASEAN figure out improvements to statistical systems
The Sixth Session of the ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee on November 1 opened in Vientiane to discuss ways to improve the statistical systems used by the committee. The meeting was attended by Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Souphanh Keomixay, Head of the Lao Statistics Bureau ...
China works with Asean countries for return of corrupt officials
China and ASEAN countries will set up a regional anti-corruption legal framework to facilitate the return of corrupt Chinese officials who are still at large in ASEAN countries and confiscate their ill-gotten assets, a senior anti-graft official said. China is in advanced negotiations with some ASEAN ...
Public debt near red line: NA deputies
The second session of the National Assembly on November 1 continued with debates on a five year financial plan, targets and orientation for the mobilisation and use of public investment loans as well as public debt management during 2016-2020. Finance Minister Đinh Tiến Dũng presented a ...
Goa summit could be the turning point for BIMSTEC
The recently concluded eighth BRICS summit in Goa, India on October 15-16 saw a range of unprecedented outcomes and engagements. One of the biggest highlights among them was the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit, where the BRICS leaders met the heads of government of the BIMSTEC countries. ...
Indonesia, Vietnam look to blaze trail for solar in Southeast Asia
Indonesia and Vietnam are looking to join Thailand in blazing a trail for solar power in Southeast Asia, introducing targets to fire up green energy generation as a landmark global agreement to curb pollution is set to take effect. Countries around the world are coming ...
