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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013222

Laos is expected to assume management of the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province in July, a Lao investor involved in the project has said.

The news comes after the Vietnamese government agreed to increase Laos’ share in the project from 20 percent to 60 percent at Laos’ request, making it the major shareholder.

The Lao government has partnered with Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade) – a subsidiary company of PTL Holding Company Limited – to partner with the Vietnamese government to develop the Lao Logistics Link (LLL) project, which includes the port.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of PetroTrade, Mr Chanthone Sitthixay, told the President of the National Assembly Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane last week that his team is working with the Vietnamese side on payment for the extra shares before taking over the management of the port.

“If things go as planned, we expect to assume management [of the port] in July,” Mr Chanthone told Dr Xaysomphone.
Dr Xaysomphone and his entourage were briefed about the project during a working tour to the Thanaleng Dry Port and Vientiane Logistics Park in Vientiane, which is also part of the LLL that Mr Chanthone’s company is also developing.

The Lao government and PetroTrade formed a joint venture company called the Lao-Vietnam Vung Ang Port State Enterprise, in which the government holds a 51 percent stake and PetroTrade holds 49 percent, to join Vietnam to develop and operate the port to meet the growing need for freight transport.

A marketing study conducted by the consulting firm Royal HaskoningDHV and other entities showed that the volume of dry bulk cargo handled by the Vung Ang port reached 2.9 million tonnes in 2014.

It is estimated that this amount will rise to 20.2 million tonnes by 2030, according to the Lao investor.

To capture the potential growth, the Lao investor in cooperation with the governments of Laos and Vietnam plans to invest up to US$300 million to upgrade facilities, machinery and equipment in berths 1 and 2 and construction of the planned berth 3 at the port.

The port is currently in operation and handles containers and cargo consisting of woodchips, potassium, gypsum, iron ore and coal.

Located 145 km from the Napao-Chalo border crossing between Laos’s Khammuan province and Vietnam, the port is well positioned to serve as a gateway between central Vietnam, central Laos and northeastern Thailand.

Given that a railway (a part of the LLL) linking Vientiane through Khammuan to the port is planned, the shipping of cargo through the Vung Ang Port including from Thailand’s Issan region to larger Asian markets such as China, Republic of Korea, Japan and Hong Kong is a cost-effective option.

Meanwhile, incoming cargo destined for Southeast Asian markets will also enjoy more efficient handling, according to the Lao investor.

The LLL project also includes logistics parks in Khammuan and Vientiane to establish a regional logistics link system that will also enable freight shipped by Southeast Asian countries to reach European markets via the Laos-China Railway interconnected rail system.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
 

Published : March 10, 2022

By : Vientiane Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013221

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

During a telephonic conversation with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Modi welcomed the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine and hoped for an early resolution of the situation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine and shared their concerns over continuing humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.

Modi informed the Netherlands leader about the progress in evacuation of Indian citizens from conflict areas, and India’s assistance in the form of urgent relief supplies, including medicines for the affected populations.

Modi also recalled his virtual summit with him in April, 2021 and expressed desire to receive him in India at an early date.

Meanwhile, the last big group of about 700 Indian students evacuated from the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy boarded a special train from Poltava and are likely to board a flight to India from Poland on Thursday.

The train was taking the students to Lviv in western Ukraine, from where they will be taken to Poland in buses.

Published : March 10, 2022

By : The Statesman

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013220

The government is considering allowing all international students who want to enter Japan to do so by the end of May, in response to the easing of pandemic-related border restrictions.

Using available airline seats on weekdays, the government aims to allow more than 100,000 people to enter the country, sources said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier announced a plan to increase the daily cap on international arrivals from about 5,000 to about 7,000, starting Monday. In addition to that figure, the government had said it would accept 1,000 foreign students daily through a separate quota.

The government is now considering a plan in which an estimated 8,000 foreign students would be able to enter Japan over the four days from Mondays through Thursdays, given the high availability of airline seats on weekdays. Over the three days from Fridays through Sundays, when relatively fewer seats are available, it expects 2,000 students could enter, for a total of 10,000 over the course of a week.

At this pace, the nation would be able to accept about 100,000 foreign students over approximately 10 weeks from mid-March to the end of May.

There are plans to incrementally raise the daily cap on international arrivals, while keeping a close eye on the capacity of airport quarantine systems and other factors. The quota for the entry of international students is expected to be expanded as well.

Due to the suspension of new entries by foreign nationals through the end of February as a measure against the coronavirus, about 150,000 foreign students are believed to have obtained residency status but have not been able to enter Japan. The government estimates that more than 100,000 of these students are seeking to enter Japan soon.

As part of efforts to promote the acceptance of foreign students, the education ministry’s Support Center for Entry of International Students will begin making airline reservations on behalf of foreign students in the near future.

The center, which provides consultation services related to studying abroad, will obtain information from universities and Japanese language schools on students’ preferences regarding flights, and arrange airline tickets through private companies to which it outsources its services.Speech

Published : March 10, 2022

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013219

Presidential race was tight as voters agonized over which candidate was the ‘lesser evil’

The main opposition People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol confirmed his place as South Korea’s next president after his opponent, Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, conceded defeat in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

He will become the first former prosecutor to be elected president and the first president without any political experience.

As of 3:55 a.m. on Thursday, with 98 percent of votes counted by the National Election Commission, Yoon had 48.6 percent of the vote, ahead of the ruling Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung by 0.8 percentage point.

Political novice Yoon’s victory reflected a public desire for change. Although the Moon Jae-in administration was launched five years ago with a landslide victory and great optimism, it has since been rocked by a series of scandals, runaway housing prices and a pandemic-induced economic slowdown.

Still, it was a tough battle for Yoon. The unpredictable neck-and-neck race was not completely settled even when 90 percent of the votes had been counted. The tight race reflects voter’s last-minute agonizing over choosing which of the two all-time unfavorable candidates was the “lesser evil” in a presidential election marred by scandals and mudslinging.

Exit polls released by the three terrestrial broadcasters and JTBC at 7:30 p.m. showed that the race was neck-and-neck, with polls placing the two front-runners less than 1 percentage point apart.

In the terrestrial broadcasters’ poll, Yoon was predicted to win 48.4 percent of the votes, defeating Lee by 0.6 percentage point. In another exit poll conducted by cable broadcaster JTBC, Lee was predicted at 48.4 percent, beating Yoon by 0.7 percentage point.

By voter age, exit polls estimated that Lee gained more support from those in their 20s, 40s and 50s and Yoon in their 30s and 60s and older. By gender, Yoon outpaced Lee with 49.5 percent of male voters and Lee led among women voters with 49.6 percent.

Voter turnout for this year’s presidential election was 77.1 percent, similar to the figures from the previous election.

Approximately 34 million out of 44.2 million eligible voters ultimately cast their ballots. A final turnout figure is expected to come out sometime Thursday.

Voting ended 30 minutes earlier for this election than in 2017, but the result took longer to come out because of the lack of a clear frontrunner and because people with COVID-19 voted separately.

By Shin Ji-hye

Published : March 10, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013187

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines must continue to honor its agreement with China to conduct joint exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea, according to President Duterte who warned that there could be trouble if the country deviates from this.

Duterte, who is set to step down in June, said somebody from China whom he did not identify reminded him about the joint exploration in Recto Bank as there was speculation that a new company would take over the activity.

“You know I can only talk for this time that we are here, my administration. It was whispered to me ‘Don’t let this happen, we should honor our original contracts,’” Duterte said in his regular public address on Monday.

The Recto Bank, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.

In 2018, the Philippines and China, which has sweeping claims over the South China Sea, signed a memorandum of understanding creating the framework for future negotiations on joint oil and gas explorations in the disputed waters.

Duterte said he was also warned about the Philippines’ supposed plan to send the military to the Recto Bank, which he had denied.

“I said, ‘we have no plan to send soldiers.’ The person said ‘Just in case you send soldiers, we will also do the same,’” he recalled.

This is what he has been trying to avoid, especially with so many flashpoints in the world, he said.

The Philippines does not need to pick a fight, especially with the conflict in Ukraine and tensions between Taiwan and China, he said.

“So many flashpoints, so many areas in conflict. We do not need it. We do not need to get into a fight,” he said.

Philippine commitments with China should be honored to avoid conflict, he stressed.

“You should just abide by what was agreed upon before. I said it’s a matter of honor. There were consensual talks and a written agreement. If that is amended, it will be risky,” he said.

By: Leila B. Salaverria

Published : March 09, 2022

By : Philippine Daily Inquirer

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South Koreans voted Wednesday to pick a new president after a tightly contested race between ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung promising improved livelihoods and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol championing a fairer society.

Two hours after the polls opened at 6 a.m., election officials reported an average voter turnout of 5 percent nationwide, slightly lower than the 5.6 percent reported at the same time in the previous presidential election in 2017.

Voter interest is unprecedentedly keen in this year’s election as seen in the record turnout in last week’s early voting. More than 16 million, or 36.93 percent, of a total of some 44 million registered voters already cast their ballots in early voting Friday and Saturday.

The turnout marked the highest since the early voting system was introduced in 2014. Election officials will add the number to Wednesday’s turnout to report overall voter turnout starting at 1 p.m.

The election also takes place at a time when South Korea has seen COVID-19 cases exploding in recent weeks.

Amid concern about depriving the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of virus patients, the government has allowed them to leave quarantine to vote, but a lack of preparations led to blunders during early voting, such as collecting votes of virus patients in plastic bags and other containers, rather than ballot boxes.

In Wednesday’s election, virus patients and those in quarantine are allowed to vote from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. after regular voting closes. The National Election Commission has also revised regulations to allow them to put their votes directly into ballot boxes.

The race has been markedly close between Lee of the ruling Democratic Party and Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party. Surveys conducted before the blackout on all nationwide polls last week showed the two running neck and neck within the margin of error.

Lee, 57, a former Gyeonggi Province governor, used his background in public administration to campaign under the slogan of a competent and pragmatic president who will get things done in both the economy and foreign relations.

Yoon, 61, a former prosecutor general, rode a wave of public anger at the administration of outgoing President Moon Jae-in and his ruling party to seize on a message of fairness, common sense, principle and the rule of law.

A potential tiebreaker between the two arrived last Thursday, when the third-placed candidate, Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party, dropped out of the race to support Yoon. Ahn had had about 10 percent support before his withdrawal.

The impact of that coalition is difficult to gauge because of the blackout on polls. Many believe the coalition has boosted Yoon’s chances, but some others warn it could backfire and result in motivating more Lee supporters to vote.

Major TV stations are scheduled to unveil the results of joint exit polls at 7:30 p.m., though the announcement could be pushed back if the voting of COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine does not close as scheduled.

Vote counting is expected to begin across the nation as soon as the polls close, and a winner could emerge several hours later if the counting goes smoothly, though the final tally won’t be completed until early Thursday.

The results could have profound impacts on the direction South Korea will take on key issues, as Lee and Yoon differ on foreign policy, including relations with North Korea, and economic issues, such as welfare and real estate policies.

Yoon takes a hard line on national security, saying a preemptive strike may be needed to respond to an imminent threat from North Korea. He has also pledged to deploy additional units of the US THAAD antimissile system in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression.

In contrast, Lee has taken a more conciliatory approach to the North, saying the overriding goal in Seoul’s policy toward Pyongyang is to prevent another war on the peninsula.

He has called for simultaneously pursuing North Korea’s denuclearization and sanctions relief, and protested that Yoon’s remarks only raised tensions with North Korea and China at the expense of South Korea’s economy.

This year’s election was seen by many as the country’s worst election because of the high degree of negative campaigning on all sides.

The public’s aversion to the candidates ran so high the race came to be known as the “unlikeable election,” creating an unusually large number of swing voters, who postponed their choices until the last minute.

On the one hand, Lee was suspected of involvement in a massive corruption case behind the 2015 development of an apartment complex in Seongnam, south of Seoul, during his time as the city’s mayor.

His wife, Kim Hye-kyung, was accused of misusing public servants and government credit cards when Lee was governor of Gyeonggi Province.

On the other hand, Yoon faced allegations he associated closely with shamans and relied on them for advice.

His biggest liability during the campaign was arguably his wife, Kim Keon-hee, who was accused of accepting bribes and manipulating stocks long before he launched his presidential bid.

Late last year, she came under attack for allegedly lying on her resume while applying for jobs at two universities in 2007 and 2013. (Yonhap)

Published : March 09, 2022

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013183

Agencies that handle donated sperm and eggs will be licensed and prohibited from selling or buying them, according to a draft of legal revisions prepared by a nonpartisan Diet group.

In December 2020, special legislation was enacted as a supplement to the Civil Code, clarifying the legal parent-child relationships for children born through fertility treatments using donated sperm or eggs. However, a supplementary provision of the special law stipulated that the government would study related issues and take necessary legislative measures within two years.

The nonpartisan Diet group is led by Seiko Noda, the minister in charge of measures for the low birthrate. It plans to submit the bill outlining details of policies on egg and sperm donations to the current Diet session, after discussions among the parties.

According to the draft, infertility treatment using donated sperm and eggs will be allowed, while surrogate births will not, as they expose another person to the risks related to childbearing. Only agencies licensed by the government will be able to handle donated sperm and eggs, and only government-authorized medical institutions will be able to provide infertility treatment.

Penalties for violations will be established, with the details to be worked out in the future.

Donated sperm and eggs will be available only to legally married couples under the draft, but the regulations will be reviewed in five years. Sperm or eggs donated from the same person will be available to up to 10 couples.

To guarantee the right to know one’s origin in the case of assisted reproductive medicine, the name, date of birth, My Number personal identification number and other information about couples, children and donors will be stored for 100 years by the agencies.

Children born through sperm or egg donations will be able to confirm in the future whether their information was recorded. If they ask for information about donors, the requests will be passed on to donors, who can choose whether to disclose information and how much. As a result, privacy of donors will be protected while children’s right to know their origins might not be. 

Published : March 09, 2022

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013182

SINGAPORE – Singapore will be contributing US$15 million (S$20.46 million) over the next five years to a global coalition set up to develop vaccines against future infectious disease threats.

The move is to support the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which plays an indispensable role in the global health architecture, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a pre-recorded speech on Wednesday (March 9).

“Transnational issues such as research and development, and scaling up manufacturing and distribution capabilities and capacity for vaccines require increased collective financing and action,” he said.

The minister’s speech was telecast at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2022, which was jointly hosted in London by Cepi and the British government.

The summit aims to explore how the world can respond to the next pandemic by developing safe and effective vaccines within 100 days.

This goal is part of what Cepi is seeking to achieve with its five-year plan, which it announced last year, and is looking to raise US$3.5 billion to implement.

In his speech, Mr Ong said countries around the world are doing their best to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, including closures of borders, lockdowns and nationwide vaccination exercises, as well as unprecedented rapid development of vaccines and therapeutics.

“Meanwhile, trillions have been spent to prop up local economies and healthcare systems, even as the costs in human lives and ill health accumulate,” he added.

He noted that the future development of the pandemic remains uncertain, but said a coordinated, multilateral international response is needed.

“We can never coordinate our actions as fast as a new variant will spread; but try we must,” said the minister.

“It is therefore only good sound sense to invest sufficiently and collectively in global transnational pandemic preparedness capabilities. We must not let the common good deteriorate to become a tragedy of the commons.”

He said all countries, whether large or small, are responsible for collectively rectifying the longstanding under-investment in pandemic preparedness.

“We strongly urge all countries to contribute towards our common goal of a strengthened global health system, and emerge stronger together from the pandemic,” added Mr Ong.

By Dominic Low

Published : March 09, 2022

By : The Straits Times

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Parties called on to show restraint to avoid humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for France and Germany to jointly support peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to resolve tensions, and urged concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a massive humanitarian crisis.

In a video summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Xi said in Beijing that the current Ukraine situation is worrisome and China deeply regrets the outbreak of war again on the European continent.

He reiterated China’s position on the Ukraine crisis, saying the pressing task at the moment is to prevent the current tensions from escalating and getting out of control.

China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis supported, Xi said.

He commended the mediation efforts of France and Germany on the Ukraine issue, and emphasized the need to encourage Russia and Ukraine to keep up the momentum of negotiations, overcome difficulties, keep talks going and bring about peaceful outcomes.

“We need to call for maximum restraint to prevent a massive humanitarian crisis,” Xi said, adding that China has proposed an initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and stands ready to provide Ukraine with further humanitarian aid supplies.

He called for joint efforts to reduce the negative impact of the Ukraine crisis. “Relevant sanctions will affect global finance, energy, transportation and the stability of supply chains, and dampen the global economy, which is already ravaged by the pandemic. And this is in the interest of no one,” he said.

Xi also stressed the need to actively advocate a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

China supports France and Germany in promoting a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework for the interests and lasting security of Europe, and by upholding its strategic autonomy, Xi said.

“China will also be pleased to see dialogue on an equal footing among the European Union, Russia, the United States and NATO,” Xi added.

China will continue communicating and coordinating with France, Germany and the EU and, in light of the needs of the parties involved, work actively with members of the international community to resolve the Ukraine issue, he said.

Both the French and German leaders gave briefings on their positions on the current Ukraine situation, saying Europe is confronting its most serious crisis since World War II.France and Germany support resolution of the crisis through negotiations to give peace a chance, they said.

Both leaders expressed appreciation to China for its initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, saying their countries stand ready to intensify communication and coordination with China on the Ukraine crisis to facilitate peace talks in order to prevent the tense situation from escalating and avoid a severe humanitarian crisis.

The three leaders also exchanged views about China-EU relations as well as the Iranian nuclear issue.

On China-EU ties, Xi said that China and the EU have a lot in common in promoting peace, development and cooperation. He called for both sides to take greater responsibility to inject more stability and certainty into a turbulent world by strengthening dialogue and staying committed to cooperation.

Saying China’s development will create broader the space for its collaboration with the EU, Xi stressed the need to deepen pragmatic cooperation in the fields of green development and digital partnerships, based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win results.

He also urged both sides to continue to uphold multilateralism and jointly advance the global agenda.

By CAO DESHENG

Published : March 09, 2022

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40013144

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has requested that China does not violate Việt Nam’s exclusive economic zone in the East Sea, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng said on Monday.

Responding to a question from a reporter regarding the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration’s statement about Chinese drills in the East Sea, Spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng said: “Việt Nam always closely follows developments in the East Sea and exercises Việt Nam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the seas in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS 1982). Part of the area mentioned in the statement belongs to Việt Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined under UNCLOS 1982.”

“Việt Nam asks China to respect and not violate Việt Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and not to take actions to complicate the situation, thereby contributing to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the  East Sea area. Việt Nam has communicated with China on this issue,” she said. — VNS

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION