But Beijing has shown that it can also hurt others by cutting a lucrative Chinese export: tourists who normally flock to South Korea or Taiwan.

China’s recent boycott of South Korea over a US anti-missile shield on the Korean peninsula signals a growing aggression in the way it flexes its economic muscles, analysts say.

Beijing has banned Chinese tour groups from going to the South, hammering its tourist market and the duty-free shops of retail giant Lotte Group, which has been targeted for providing land for the controversial defence system.

Dozens of Lotte stores were closed in China and protests held across the country as Beijing ramped up pressure on Seoul to abandon the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which it sees as a threat to its own military capability.

Lotte also suffered setbacks in several of its Chinese ventures — from the government-ordered halt of a $2.6 billion theme park project to apparent cyberattacks on company websites.

“If you don’t do what Beijing’s political leaders want they will punish you economically,” said Shaun Rein, founder of Shanghai-based China Market Research Group.

“They put the economic vise on politicians around the world. They have been doing it for years and it works.”

Seoul-based tour operator Korea-China International Tourism has reported an 85 percent drop in tourists in recent months, which its founder attributes to China’s anger over THAAD.

The company usually receives 4,000 mostly Chinese visitors a month, but that has fallen to around 500 after Beijing warned tourists about the risks of travelling to the South, and ordered Chinese tour operators to stop sending groups there.

– ‘Carrot and stick’ –

======================

As the world’s second-largest economy and biggest trader, China can also inflict pain by blocking certain imports.

Norway learned that lesson the hard way. After the Oslo-based Nobel Committee awarded the 2010 Peace Prize to jailed Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo, China halted Norwegian salmon exports.

Relations only returned to normal in April after Oslo pledged its commitment to the one-China policy and respect for China’s territorial integrity.

Mongolia also incurred Beijing’s wrath in November when it allowed the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who China views as a devious separatist, to visit the impoverished landlocked country.

Following the exiled Buddhist monk’s visit, China reportedly took punitive measures against Mongolia, including stopping trucks carrying coal from crossing the Chinese border — a move with heavy repercussions for Mongolian mining concerns.

Tourism to Taiwan has also fallen sharply as relations across the strait worsen.

The Taipei Hotel Association reported decreases of up to 50 percent in Chinese visitors in recent months and warned “the situation could get worse”.

“I’ve been told by friends not to visit Taiwan since the cross-strait situation is tense but I am just a regular citizen so I am not too worried about that,” a 58-year-old Chinese man surnamed Liu said in a Taipei duty free shop.

Countries that submit to China’s demands, however, can find themselves rewarded.

A ban on 27 Philippine tropical fruit export companies was lifted after President Rodrigo Duterte declared his “separation” from the United States during a visit to Beijing in October, confirming his tilt towards China.

The sanctions had been intended to punish Manila for its South China Sea stance.

South Korea will be hoping for a similar outcome after its new President Moon Jae-In dispatched his envoy Lee Hae-Chan to China after his election victory last week, in an apparent effort to mend fences with Beijing.

“It’s a kind of carrot and stick policy. They (China) are doing it to show they have more leverage now and send a signal,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor in political science at Hong Kong Baptist University.

“The irony is that China has criticised that way of doing things but now China is less hesitant to do the same thing because she’s stronger and feels she can do it.”

– Filling the void –

====================

Analysts expect China to become even more assertive as it seeks to fill the vacuum created by the US retreat into “America First” policies promoted by President Donald Trump.

“Smaller nations (in Asia) don’t feel that Trump is going to support them,” said Rein.

But in the case of South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, Beijing has been careful to target specific sectors to avoid disruption that could backfire on Chinese companies.

“It has become a well-developed tool of diplomatic pressure,” said Andrew Gilholm, director of analysis of Greater China and North Asia at Control Risks.

The Imperial Household Agency and other sources say the princess is getting engaged to Kei Komuro, who works for a law firm. Both are 25 years old. They met 5 years ago as students at International Christian University.

The princess is the eldest daughter of Prince and Princess Akishino, and is the first grandchild of the Emperor and Empress.

During his university days, Komuro took the role of “prince of the sea” in a tourism campaign for Fujisawa City, south of Tokyo, the online said.

Rina Namikawa also worked for the campaign. She says she was surprised but delighted to hear the news.

Congratulating the couple, Namikawa says Komuro is kind and pleasant, and the “prince of the sea” title suits him. She says the couple will look very good together.

Osaka University of Tourism President Osamu Akagi has known Princess Mako since she was a child. Akagi says he was surprised to hear that she is getting engaged.

He says he hopes she will create a happy family that people of her generation will admire. Princess Mako studied at a British graduate school and works as a researcher at a museum in Tokyo.

Sources say she has introduced Komuro to her parents and received their approval. Their relationship has already been reported to the Emperor and Empress. The wedding is expected to take place next year.

Since the beginning of May, hundreds of Myanmar workers at factories and workshops in Thailand faced dismissal, were not paid, or were suspended from their jobs without reason.

Most workers already suffered difficulties over food and shelter when seeking a new job, according to the AAC.

“MoU Myanmar workers – 18 females and a male – arrived in our office seeking help. They resigned from their factory because they didn’t get their salaries for about two or three months,” said Ye Min from AAC.

In recent days, although a factory owner said those working at the Pineapple Canned Factory in the Pran Buri town would get three days’ wages, no workers received the money they were due.

More than 180 workers held a protest over payment of wages after taking a half-day’s leave. However, Myanmar workers had stopped working as the factory owner demanded Bt2 million compensation.

Nearly 100 workers out of over 180 who stopped working were sheltering at a monastery and faced difficulties getting food.

Ye Min said that labour diplomats from Myanmar embassy in Thailand had many weak points as they didn’t settle labour disputes. Likewise, employment agencies have no responsibility for seeking a new job.

“ We came to Thailand through MoU. Now, we have no new job over 15 days long. We called the employment agency but they can’t exactly say. The agency told us to find a new job. But, it is failed. We have no money to buy a food,” said Mi Mi.

The Ministry of Immigration and Population reported that there were over 100,000 workers in Thailand.

Smoke swept through the airport’s Terminal 2 building after the fire broke out in the departure hall, spurring authorities to seal off the area.

Operator Changi Airport Group said in a statement two people were sent to hospital for observation after approaching staff for medical assistance and four others were brought to a clinic at Terminal 3.

“A small fire occurred at the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 2. The fire has been extinguished by SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force),” Singapore police said in a statement.

Police said the fire alarm was activated at around 5:40pm (0940 GMT) as smoke poured from air vents.

Changi Airport Group said the affected terminal was shut to ensure passenger safety, and all departing and arriving flights moved to Terminal 3.

The SCDF gave the all-clear for Terminal 2 at 10 pm and airport authorities said operations there have resumed progressively.

“Changi Airport will do its very best and work through the night to clear the backlog of delayed flights,” the operator said.

“A total of about 40 flights at Terminal 2 have been affected this evening. Changi Airport will work with authorities to investigate the incident.”

An AFP reporter at the airport said the scene earlier was mostly calm as the departure and arrival halls were evacuated. Airport staff were also seen leaving but there was no panic.

M. Ramarao, an Indian software engineer working in Singapore, was set to take a flight back home with his 18-month-old daughter when they were evacuated.

“I am very worried now because we have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning for my daughter who fractured her arm, so it’s quite urgent,” he told AFP.

“If it’s for one or two hours it’s okay, but they shouldn’t cancel the flight.”

About 58.7 million passengers from around the world passed through Changi Airport last year, making it the world’s sixth busiest for international traffic.

The airport serves more than 100 airlines flying to some 380 cities worldwide.//AFP

The Australian government’s internationally competitive, meritbased scholarships and fellowships provide opportunities for citizens around the world to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia.

The Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships promote leadership, research and academic excellence. It builds linkages between Australia and the region, the embassy said in its press release.

The scholarships and fellowships are now open to all Thais who want to pursue study in Australia in four categories: postgraduate scholarship, research fellowship, vocational education and training scholarship, and executive fellowship.

Those interested can visit https://internationaleducation.gov.au/endeavour for more information and online applications.

They have until June 30 to apply for the fund. Thai applicants should direct questions to aei.bkk@dfat.gov.au

Around 170 Thai scholars have been granted the fellowships and scholarships since the programme’s inception in 2007.

The fund also provides opportunities for Australians to undertake research and professional development in Thailand.

The Mekong Delta will disappear in the next several decades once Pak Beng Dam and another 10 planned hydropower dams are built on the Mekong River in Laos and Cambodia, warned environmental experts.

“Vietnam wants all upstream Mekong River nations to adopt proper policies in exploiting the river, especially in hydropower dam construction, in order to ensure rights for downstream nations, like Vietnam,” Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and chairman of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission, Tran Hong Ha, said at a conference on the issue last weekend in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

“Vietnam is seriously worried about the increasing exploitation of hydropower in the Mekong River in recent years by upstream nations. Vietnam has recently suffered severe drought, saline intrusion and land sinking,” he added.

The Laotian government plans to start building the dam by the end of this year and have it operational by 2024. The 912 MW project is expected to generate 4,700 GWh of electricity per year, of which 90 per cent will be sold to Thailand and the remaining 10 per cent to Laos’ state-owned utility, Electricite du Laos.

“Laos should take additional time for consultation and temporarily delay the construction plan for Pak Beng Dam because all the environmental impact figures of the project are very backward, insufficient and fail to follow international standards,” said Dr Le Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Can Tho University Climate Change Research Institute.

“Therefore, all suggestion from Vietnamese and international experts about how to limit environmental impacts for the project seem meaningless,” he added.

“Pak Beng Dam will be built in a region prone to earthquakes. Within 10–20 years, an earthquake measuring 5 or 6 on the Richter scale could occur, and within 50 years, it would be stronger at 7 on the Richter scale. It is dangerous to build even one hydropower plant in the region,” said Professor Nguyen Ngoc Tran, former deputy head of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Commission.

The transboundary impact of Mekong River dams upstream include sudden changes in water level, flooding of riverbank gardens, drought and loss of traditional fish. The lower Mekong dams will drastically compound these impacts, turning 55 per cent of the lower stretch of the river into a series of reservoirs, blocking critical fish migration and the flow of nutrient-rich sediment necessary to sustain regional agriculture and food security.

“Pak Beng Reservoir will keep most of the alluvium and there will be no more for the Mekong River downstream,” said Dr Nguyen Anh Duc, director of the Mekong River Basin Development Support Centre.

“With all 11 hydropower dams operating, Chau Doc in An Giang Province will lose 65 per cent of alluvium and the Mekong Delta will disappear,” he added.

Additionally, Pak Beng Reservoir is designed to cover 97 square km and the water flow for fish will be so slow that most of the fish will be kept in the reservoir. “The dam will impact daily life of over 33 million local residents in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam,” environmental expert Nguyen Huu Thien said.

“Vietnam should prepare scenarios to cope with climate change, sea rising and impacts from hydropower dams on the Mekong River. We should request international support in protecting the Mekong River Delta,” said Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy chairman of Dong Thap Province People’s Committee.

“There is an urgent need for regional governments to press the pause button on further dams on the Mekong mainstream, to take stock of projects already under construction, to conduct further studies on the transboundary and cumulative impacts of these projects and to re-consider the dangerous approach being taken towards dam development on the lower Mekong mainstream,” said Dr Duong Van Ni from Can Tho University.

“Energy development trends in Laos are indispensable because hydropower is the only natural resource for Laos,” Minister Ha added. “To stop construction of hydropower dams is nearly impossible but we should contribute our ideals to limit maximum impact,” he added.

The Pak Beng Dam is the northern most of 11 dams proposed for construction on the lower Mekong River mainstream, in Oudomxay Province, 100 km away from the northern Laotian town of Luang Prabang.

In 2007, China Datang Overseas Investment (Datang) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Laos to develop the Pak Beng Dam. Following this agreement, in March 2014, Datang received environmental permits from the Lao Government for the hydropower project.

A report obtained by International River in 2015, revealed construction activities under way on access roads and a bridge across the Mekong River from Pak Beng to Mung Gheurn in Xayaburi Province.

The rapid pace of dam development on the Lower Mekong mainstream – including the construction of the Xayaburi and Don Sahong Dams – has ignored calls from Mekong Governments, donors, scientists and concerned communities for further studies, transboundary impact assessments and participatory regional decision-making.