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UK-VN free trade deal a new beginning for bilateral ties: UK trade secretary (nationthailand.com)

UK-VN free trade deal a new beginning for bilateral ties: UK trade secretary

Dec 12. 2020Prime Minister of Việt Nam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (right) and the visiting UK trade secretary Elizabeth Truss had an elbow greeting as they met in Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp 

By Viet Nam News/ANN

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had talks yesterday in Hà Nội with UK trade secretary Elizabeth Truss, who was visiting to sign the agreed minutes on the conclusion of UK-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) negotiations.

“We have a profound trust in the bright prospects for co-operation between the two countries,” PM Phúc said, noting that there are many investment projects by the UK doing well in Việt Nam while there is ample room for growth in bilateral trade.

The Vietnamese Government always put a high priority on UK-led projects in Việt Nam, PM Phúc said, adding that the visit by the British politician would be a great opportunity for the two sides to discuss measures to foster bilateral ties.

UK trade secretary Truss expressed her delight to visit Việt Nam – now the third time she has been to this “wonderful country” – and to attend the signing of the agreement on concluding negotiations of the UKVFTA.

The deal would mark a new beginning in bilateral relations, she said, asserting that the two Governments would help facilitate the works post-negotiation as well as help the business community take advantage of the deal once it becomes effective.

She expressed her strong belief that the deal would bring practical benefits for both Việt Nam and the UK.

The UK trade secretary thanked Việt Nam for backing the UK’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), saying this serves as a vivid testament to Việt Nam’s commitment towards free trade amid the trend of protectionism in many countries.

The UK was determined to promote free trade and economic recovery especially given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, she affirmed.

Truss said the UK was pursuing the goal of a green economy, evidenced by its hosting of the UN climate change summit COP26 in 2021 and the UK government’s commitment to the target of hitting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

She said the UK was willing to help Việt Nam in building its National Power Development Plan VIII (for 2021-30) as the UK has plenty of experience in wind power development.

The UK trade secretary said she was impressed with the economic growth of Việt Nam during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she attributed to the free trade policies of the Vietnamese Government.

Truss said the COVID-19 pandemic had shown the global supply chains had been highly dependent on a few countries, and the UK was hopeful it could diversify its supply chains and investment activities via free trade agreements, adding that the UK considered Việt Nam a trusted and reliable partner.

The UK is seeking to enhance ties with Việt Nam not just in the health sector, especially pharmaceuticals, but also in green technologies, finance, digital economy and data, according to the secretary.

The Vietnamese Government leader said Việt Nam and the UK had a rich tradition of co-operation in many fields.

While the UK was still in the European Union (EU), Việt Nam and the EU signed the Europe-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), but now as the UK was leaving the bloc, Việt Nam and the UK should have their own bilateral FTA, Phúc said.

He also reiterated Việt Nam’s support for the UK to join the CPTPP and free trade in general.

PM Phúc said economic activities in Việt Nam were “robust and lively,” and the country had managed to maintain positive economic growth while keeping COVID-19 under control.

The Vietnamese Government leader stated the confidence between the two countries had stood the test of time and bilateral ties would certainly grow stronger.

Regarding COP26, PM Phúc said Việt Nam was committed to playing a responsible part in the global fight against climate change.

PM Phúc appreciated the UK’s stance on the maintenance of security and safety and freedom of navigation and flight in the South China Sea (known in Việt Nam as the East Sea).

PM Phúc extended his invitation for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit Việt Nam at the earliest possible time. — VNS

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Bars, clubs look to avoid being sources of infections amid shorter hours in Japan (nationthailand.com)

Bars, clubs look to avoid being sources of infections amid shorter hours in Japan

Dec 12. 2020An employee sanitizes a table at a bar in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, earlier this month. (The Yomiuri Shimbun) 

By Kayo Yamada and Karin Sato
Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN

During the state of emergency declared in spring, designated businesses in Tokyo were asked to close by 8 p.m. When the second wave of infections emerged in August and September, establishments serving alcohol and other businesses were asked to shut their doors by 10 p.m. Now with the third wave of infections comes a third request to close earlier than usual.

As these establishments scramble to cope with official requests to operate for shorter hours to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, they are attempting to get through these times by transforming into venues that customers feel they can visit with peace of mind.

■ Paying for tests

Yumi Ito, the owner of a members-only nightclub in the Ginza district of Tokyo, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure her establishment does not become a source of coronavirus infections.

“All my customers hold a prominent position in their respective organizations,” said Ito, 61. “I must make sure my bar does not become a place where the virus spreads.”

Ito closed her club for about two months from early spring. In June, just before reopening her business, she made all of her about 30 employees, including hostesses, who entertain customers, and male staffers, have a checkup at a medical facility in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Her staff all tested negative for the coronavirus, though the cost for Ito was about ¥300,000.

“It was a necessary expense,” Ito said, “because it helps customers feel more reassured when they come to my club,”

Ito is among the growing number of operators in the hospitality industry across Japan taking their own steps — in addition to temperature checks and ventilating their premises — to prevent staff and customers from catching and spreading the virus.

After Ito’s club reopened, staffers and customers had their temperature taken and surfaces were thoroughly sanitized. Acrylic partitions were installed between tables. Ito managed to get through the request for shortened operating hours this summer. Customer numbers were finally starting to recover when the third request to close earlier was issued.

Ito now closes her club at 10 p.m., in line with the official request. Normally, her club would still have many customers at that hour. Shutting early stings especially sharply at this time of year when year-end parties would normally be in full swing.

“I’m sure our customers will come back if we make their safety our top priority,” Ito said. She plans to make all her employees undergo further health checks.

■ Online patrons

Ginza Shakoinryou Kyokai, an association of restaurants and bars in Ginza, had about 1,100 member establishments in March. The pandemic has battered many of these establishments, with the association now having about 1,000 members.

G.S.K. urges its members to ensure employees undergo regular coronavirus testing, and senior officials go around these establishments to encourage the owners to implement comprehensive infection prevention measures.

Association head Yuichi Hoshi manages six bars that have a combined 25 employees and all get tested every month.

“Getting the whole district working together to prevent infections will help Ginza stay vibrant,” said Hoshi, 63.

In Osaka, where businesses have been requested to close by 9 p.m., some owners have switched to online operations.

At her small bar in the city’s Minami entertainment district in Chuo Ward, owner Marie Iguchi held a glass in one hand while talking with a customer via video on her smartphone. A one-hour, one-on-one session costs ¥2,500 and is by reservation only.

Although the income the 29-year-old Iguchi earns through this online service pales in comparison to what her bar brings in when it is open, she remains upbeat.

“I’ve got do what I can to keep my business afloat,” she said.

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South Korea mobilizes Army, police to ramp up COVID-19 contract tracing (nationthailand.com)

South Korea mobilizes Army, police to ramp up COVID-19 contract tracing

Dec 12. 2020Medical workers attend to a COVID-19 patient in an intensive care unit at Gangwon National University Hospital. (Yonhap) 

By Park Han-na
The Korea Herald/ANN

Hundreds of Army and police personnel will be dispatched to break the chain of infection of the novel coronavirus, which has seen an average of more than 600 cases diagnosed each day over the past week here.

Despite the government’s stronger social distancing measures implemented from earlier this week, cases have continued to grow daily with no signs of abating.

Sharp upticks in new cases, which began in mid-November and centered on Seoul and surrounding areas, have drawn concerns that the third wave of COVID-19 infections the country is seeing would take a greater toll than the previous crises the country experienced earlier in the year.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun vowed to put all-out efforts into combatting the surge of COVID-19 infections in the Seoul metropolitan area to prevent the spread of the virus to other less affected regions.

“We will dispatch 800 personnel of military, police and civil servants to each region of the metropolitan area to support epidemiological investigations,” he said in a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting.

The push for epidemiological investigations comes as health authorities struggle to slow the infection rate, with an increasing number of patients with unknown transmission routes.

The proportion of cases with unknown transmission routes stood at 20.5 percent, or 1,609 of the total new cases that have been confirmed in the last two weeks since Nov. 27.

The figure has been on an upward trend in recent days from 17.8 percent on Dec. 7 to 20.5 percent Thursday, making it more challenging to identify chains of infections.

On Friday, the country reported 689 more cases, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, hitting the second-highest figure since January, when the country reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.

The total caseload now stands at 40,786. Eight additional coronavirus deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 572.

Of the new cases, those detected in Greater Seoul accounted for over 75 percent, with 252 confirmed in Seoul, 229 in Gyeonggi Province and 37 in Incheon.

The number of patients in critical condition has been steadily increasing from 97 on Dec. 1 to 169 on Friday.

The government plans to secure 1,000 more hospital beds, mainly at public hospitals in Seoul and nearby areas, and operate them from next week.

To prepare for further surges in demand for care, the government will designate more specialized infectious disease hospitals in addition to those picked by regional governments.

Bed capacity for patients with severe cases of COVID-19 has reached saturation. Of 583 critical-care beds across the country, only 52 are available.

”We have acquired 210 beds for COVID-19 patients and plan to expand the number to 331 by the end of the year. Works are underway to increase the number of critical-care beds in the Seoul metropolitan area to 215 until the year-end,“ Yoon Tae-ho, a senior Health Ministry official, said during a briefing.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that 14,076 people underwent diagnostics tests on Thursday, the largest number ever recorded in the capital.

“We are not in a situation to see any delays in testing as not only the city government but also private companies are performing tests,” said Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government.

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S’pore to lift border restrictions for visitors from Taiwan from Dec 18 (nationthailand.com)

S’pore to lift border restrictions for visitors from Taiwan from Dec 18

Dec 12. 2020Photo from Ong Ye Kung’s facebook page. 

By Toh Ting Wei
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – Visitors from Taiwan will be able to come into Singapore for all forms of travel and not be quarantined from next Friday (Dec 18), provided they test negative for Covid-19 on arrival.

The same applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Taiwan, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Friday (Dec 11), as it announced the Republic’s decision to unilaterally open its borders to Taiwan.

“Taiwan has a comprehensive public health surveillance system and has displayed successful control over the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” said the CAAS.

“Over the past 28 days, Taiwan has zero local Covid-19 cases. The risk of importation from Taiwan is low.”

Visitors from Taiwan can apply for an air travel pass for entry into Singapore from Dec 18. They will have to adhere to a few requirements such as flying to Singapore on direct flights, using the TraceTogether app, and paying for their medical bills related to Covid-19, if any.

The CAAS will also update Singapore’s travel advisory to allow for travel to Taiwan.

The opening is unilateral, as restrictions in Taiwan remain in place, with leisure and social visits by foreign nationals currently banned.

Taiwanese citizens who want to travel out of the territory can do so. But they will have to get a certificate proving them to be clear of the Covid-19 virus within three days prior to their return flight to Taiwan. 

They will then be tested again upon arrival in Taiwan, and will have to be quarantined for 14 day afterwards. 

Taiwan is the sixth place that Singapore has unilaterally opened up to, after Australia, Brunei Darussalam, mainland China, New Zealand and Vietnam.

The CAAS said that as at 11.59pm on Thursday, it had approved 9,284 applications for visitors from these places, and received 4,050 visitors.

As at 11.59pm on Wednesday, all visitors who arrived in Singapore under the air travel pass scheme have tested negative for Covid-19.

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post that the opening of borders to Taiwan was another step in opening Singapore’s borders.

He noted that Taiwan had also recently classified Singapore as a low risk country. As such, the territory had reduced the quarantine for essential and business travellers from the Republic to five days.

Mr Ong added: “With the festive period, I hope the reopening arrangements will be useful for families and loved ones to reunite.”

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Bangladesh, 10 Other Asian Nations: Fast-track vaccine distribution (nationthailand.com)

Bangladesh, 10 Other Asian Nations: Fast-track vaccine distribution

Dec 12. 2020

By The Daily Star/ANN

Urges WHO; ADB launches $9b Covid vaccine initiative for Asia Pacific

The World Health Organization yesterday said it wants fast and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine in South and Southeast Asian countries, including Bangladesh, where a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak looms large.

“The vaccine manufacturing and regulatory sectors have a critical role to play in equitable and efficient deployment of vaccines,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO’s South-East Asia Region, at a two-day virtual meeting, according to a WHO statement.

In another development, the Asian Development Bank launched its $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility  which will offer rapid and equitable support to its developing members in the hope of breaking the chain of virus transmission, saving lives and restoring economies.

The WHO meeting involved vaccine manufacturers and regulators.

There are widespread fears that the poor countries will lag behind in terms of accessing the vaccines.

Dr Khetrapal said all countries in the region are now developing and finalising national deployment and vaccination plans, of which regulatory preparedness is a core component.

She emphasised on effective coordination, collaboration and information-sharing at all stages among the stakeholders.

“Countries in our Region are among the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, and the vaccines produced here are likely to be administered to billions of people globally. I am certain that together, in solidarity with all people of the Region and world, you will effectively contribute to health and well-being of all,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.

THE ADB INITIATIVE

The announcement of ADB’s $9 billion initiative Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) came yesterday.

“As ADB’s developing members prepare to vaccinate their people as soon as possible, they need financing to procure vaccines as well as appropriate plans and knowledge to be able to safely, equitably, and efficiently manage the vaccination process,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa in a statement yesterday.

“APVAX will play a critical role in helping our developing members meet these challenges, overcome the pandemic, and focus on economic recovery.”

More than 14.3 million positive cases have been identified in Asia and the Pacific, causing over 200,000 deaths. As the pandemic persists, economic growth in developing Asia is projected to contract by 0.4% in 2020, the first regional gross domestic product contraction since the early 1960s.

The APVAX provides a comprehensive framework and resource envelope for supporting developing Asia’s vaccine access.

“This may include such areas as cold-chain storage and transportation, vehicles, distribution infrastructure, processing facilities, and other physical investments. The component may also be used to develop or expand vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing members.”

ADB financing for vaccines will be provided in close coordination with other development partners including the World Bank Group, World Health Organization, COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), GAVI, and bilateral and multilateral partners.

“Additional access criteria, such as a vaccination needs assessment, a vaccine allocation plan by the developing member, and a mechanism for effective coordination among development partners also help ensure that vaccine support under APVAX can be fairly and effectively implemented.