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South Korea hopes to expedite talks with Singapore, Taiwan to start travel bubble from July

SEOUL – South Korea is hoping to expedite travel bubble talks with the likes of Singapore and Taiwan to allow quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated people from as early as July, as part of a national campaign to encourage mass vaccination.

The Transport Ministry said on Wednesday (June 9) that it is pushing to allow people who have taken two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to go on group tours to countries that have strong virus control measures in place and have been relatively successful in containing the pandemic.

Only 4.5 per cent of the population, or 2.32 million people, have been fully vaccinated since jabs were rolled out on Feb 26.

The ministry said talks are already under way with Singapore and Taiwan to sign a travel bubble agreement, and it will also reach out to other territories such as Guam, Saipan and Thailand to discuss reopening air travel.

The Straits Times has reached out to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport for comment.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Wednesday that border restrictions have dealt a severe blow to the aviation and travel industry for too long, and many people are yearning to go overseas again.

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“Resuming international travel will mark the beginning of life going back to normal,” he said during a meeting.

The transport ministry said it is planning to allow only selected package tours in the first phase of the travel bubble programme, and those who sign up must stick to the itinerary instead of roam freely.

Travellers must also test for Covid-19 and submit negative test results three days before departure and test again upon arrival at their destination.

An official was cited as saying that the prospect of signing a travel bubble deal with Singapore, Guam or Saipan is higher as they have shown a lot of enthusiasm for such an agreement.

Singapore had planned to launch its first bilateral air travel bubble with Hong Kong last November but it was postponed twice due to spikes in Covid-19 cases.

Guam and Saipan, both United States territories, already allow visitors who received US-approved vaccines, such as Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen, to be exempted from a mandatory two-week quarantine.

Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest budget airline, has resumed flights to Saipan in anticipation of a surge in travel demand.

The country reported 602 more cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total to 145,692.

Some 9.2 million people, comprising 17.9 per cent of the population, have received their first shots of the Covid-19 vaccine as at Wednesday.

South Korea has been trying to accelerate its vaccination programme by dangling incentives such as allowing those who received at least one dose of the vaccine to roam outdoors without wearing a mask and have bigger family gatherings from July onwards.

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Those who are fully vaccinated will be exempted from the current gathering ban of more than four people from July.

More incentives announced on Wednesday include cultural heritage promotions for people who received at least one dose of the vaccine, such as free tours at royal palaces and discounts on tickets to traditional performances.

An official said they prepared these deals to “encourage vaccinations and help those who have been vaccinated return to normal life”.

South Korea hopes that more than 14 million people can get their first jabs by the end of the month and 36 million by September.

In order for the country to achieve herd immunity as planned, some 36 million people – 70 per cent of the population – must be fully vaccinated by November.

Published : June 10, 2021

By : Chang May Choon/The Straits Times/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001859

S. Korea to allow overseas group tours of fully vaccinated citizens as early as in July: govt.

South Korea will allow overseas group tours of fully vaccinated citizens to nations with stable virus response measures as early as in July, as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign picks up speed across the nation, the prime minister said Wednesday.

“Starting in July, we plan to allow group travel of fully vaccinated people through consultations between nations with stable antivirus conditions,” Kim Boo-kyum said during a daily interagency meeting on the country’s coronavirus response.

The plan comes as the rate of the nation’s population who have received their first vaccine jabs reached 16.5 percent as of Wednesday.

Kim pointed to the state of severe deterioration of the air travel and tourism industries hit by the pandemic, while noting that the number of people hoping for resumption of overseas tours was growing. (Yonhap)

Published : June 10, 2021

By : The Korea Herald/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001836

Crowdfunding campaign launched to help feed poor in Myanmar

Myanmars perfect “storm” of political, economic and health crises are plunging millions of people into poverty and hunger. By the end of 2021, up to 3.4 million more people will go hungry, according to World Food Programme 

Stand for Hope campaign will deliver a set of rice (49kg at US$19) and cooking oil (5litre at US$9) will feed a dire family of four-five for a month.  

Your every contribution means a life – family saved 

Donate here  

Sponsored by Sinwattana Donation Crowdfunding/Eleven Media Group/Asia News Network

Published : June 09, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001825

ASEAN, China vow to deepen cooperation

China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have pledged to deepen cooperation, advance regional economic integration and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea as their foreign ministers gathered in Chongqing for a special ASEAN-China foreign ministers meeting in celebration of the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations.

The foreign ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development in order to take their relationship to new heights.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who co-chaired the meeting on Monday with Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, said that China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to upgrade China-ASEAN relations and usher in another 30 years of even greater cooperation.

China-ASEAN relations have developed massively, releasing great vitality and delivering enormous benefits to the 2 billion people in the 11 countries, Wang said.

Trade between China and ASEAN jumped to $684.6 billion last year from less than $8 billion three decades ago. Personnel exchanges exceeded 65 million in 2019, and there were nearly 4,500 flights between China and Southeast Asia every week.

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China and ASEAN have built an important pillar for regional peace and stability, created a powerful engine for development and prosperity, and established the most successful example of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation, Wang said.

At this moment of building on past successes to further advance bilateral relations, he urged both sides to apply the successful practices of prioritizing development, enhancing mutual trust, focusing on cooperation and properly handling differences.

Wang said that China will provide a greater market and more opportunities for ASEAN members and other countries.

He made a six-point proposal including deepening anti-pandemic cooperation, agreeing on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea at an early date and upholding multilateralism.

Wang suggested that both sides explore the establishment of a panel of experts to strengthen cooperation on vaccines and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region.

China has so far delivered 100 million doses of vaccines to ASEAN member nations, along with other anti-pandemic materials and technical assistance.

On Tuesday, Wang held a series of meetings with foreign ministers from ASEAN member countries including Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

Published : June 09, 2021

By : China Daily/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001824

Woman administrator shot dead in Tamwe Township

The woman administrator of Kyakwatthit Ward in Thatipahtan Street, Tamwe Township, Yangon Region, has been shot dead, said neighbourhood residents.

Soe Soe Lwin, aged over 40, descended from the apartment where she lived at about 10 am on June 8. Then she was shot dead as she got on her car in front of the apartment where Ngwe Taung Gyi Beer House is located

Photo credit: Eleven Media Group 

“She descended from her flat. As she opened the car door to get on, she was shot dead at close range,” a nearby resident said. 

The deceased woman administrator was said to be a rental broker. 

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“She was a broker. She rented hostels,” one of her neighbourhood residents said. 

An explosion also occurred near her home on May 12 but she was not hurt. 

Explosions have frequently occurred in the Yangon Region since late April. 

A blast at Denko petrol station near North Oakkala roundabout in North Oakkalapa Township killed a man on May 15. 

On June 7 morning, shootings occurred at the top of Marnpyay 11 Street in Tharkayta Township, killing a policeman and injuring another. 

A ward administrator of Marnpyay 20 Street in Tharkayta Township was also shot to death on the morning of May 27 and at least seven explosions occurred in the same township on that day. 

In earlier May also, a ward administrator of Tharkayta Township was stabbed to death. 

On the night of June 1 and early morning of June 2, five blasts occurred in Mingalar Taungnyunt Township. 

Published : June 09, 2021

By : Eleven Media Group/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001821

Myanmar junta defends response to crisis amid Asean criticism

YANGON (REUTERS) – The Myanmar juntas foreign minister defended its plan for restoring democracy, state media reported on Tuesday (June 8), after a meeting at which South-east Asian counterparts pressed the army to implement a regional agreement meant to end turmoil.

The junta has paid little heed to demands from Asean to respect a “consensus” agreed in late April to end violence and hold political talks with its opponents.

South-east Asian foreign ministers expressed disappointment at the meeting in China on Monday at the “very slow” progress made by Myanmar on its proposal for ending the turmoil that has continued since the army overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1.

State media cited Mr Wunna Maung Lwin as telling the Asean-China foreign ministers’ meeting that the military had made progress on its own five-step road map for the country unveiled after its coup.

“The minister apprised the meeting that the only way to ensure a democratic system that is disciplined and genuine was through the five-point future programme that was declared in February,” the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

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The minister had said that most of these points had been met, including preventative Covid-19 measures and setting up a new election commission to look into alleged fraud during a November election swept by Ms Suu Kyi’s party, the paper said.

The military defended its seizure of power after a decade of tentative steps towards democracy, saying the old election commission had ignored its complaints of fraud.

The junta has failed to impose control since ousting Ms Suu Kyi, who is among more than 4,500 people detained since the coup.

Security forces have killed at least 849 protesters, a rights group says, though the army disputes that figure, and insurgencies in several regions have flared.

Alarmed by the turmoil, several members of Asean have called for an end to the violence, the release of political detainees, and for Myanmar’s rivals to hold talks on ending the crisis – calls reflected in the Asean “consensus”.

But in the only reference to the Asean proposal, the Myanmar minister was cited as saying “discussions were made cordially” on it during a visit last week by two Asean envoys – who had also called for the release of political prisoners.

Opponents of the junta have shown increasing frustration at Asean’s inability to press the junta and its failure to include other political stakeholders, particularly the ousted government. The junta has branded its opponents “terrorists”.

China’s state-run Global Times newspaper has quoted junta leader Min Aung Hlaing as telling the Chinese ambassador that Myanmar is willing to coordinate the implementation of the consensus.

After Monday’s meeting, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Chinese help would be “highly appreciated as this will contribute to achieving a peaceful solution”.

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A shadow government formed by anti-coup opponents criticised China’s embassy in Myanmar for calling the junta chief the “leader” of Myanmar in a posting on its website.

Published : June 09, 2021

By : The Straits Times/ANN

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Trade boosts vaccine availability among APEC members

Enhanced ties among the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will help people in the region gain more affordable and safe COVID-19 vaccines via favorable trade policies, and generate fresh momentum to lift the economy, a Commerce Ministry official said on Monday.

China is ready to work with other member economies to send a positive signal to the international community that the Asia-Pacific region is working together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, keep regional supply chains stable and promote regional economic recovery, said Yu Benlin, director-general of the Department of International Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce.

The official’s comments follow discussions during a virtual meeting of the trade ministers from 21 APEC member economies on Saturday. The ministers agreed to use trade as a tool to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, support a rules-based multilateral trading system, and secure the flow of trade in services to better ensure the production, distribution, and sale of vaccines and medical supplies across the region.

During the virtual meeting, chaired by the government of New Zealand, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China has actively participated in, and promoted, regional free trade arrangements. China is implementing an FTA upgrade strategy, and is committed to further improving the level of regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and to promote regional economic integration.

The minister said China has taken the lead in completing the ratification process for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement and is favorably considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. These efforts will ultimately contribute to the realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

In addition to enhancing the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system, and conducting discussions on improving the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement and trade negotiation functions, Yu said the consensus reached during the meeting also highlights trade’s role in responding to environmental issues, climate change, and food security, as well as investment facilitation.

Recalling the role of the rules-based multilateral trading system in catalyzing regional growth, the APEC trade ministers said that they are determined to cooperate to ensure the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled to be held at the end of this year in Geneva, is successful and delivers tangible results for all, the Singapore-based APEC Secretariat said in a statement.

As a major trading power, China has long been a constructive member of the WTO, faithfully fulfilling its commitments and making great contributions, such as providing capital and technological assistance to developing countries and helping train officials of new WTO members, said Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijing-based China Society for WTO Studies.

“China supports ongoing efforts to conclude, ratify, implement and upgrade bilateral and regional trade agreements that benefit its consumers, enhance predictability and transparency for businesses, complement the multilateral trading system, and contribute to deeper economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

He also said these undertakings are reinforced by APEC’s extensive work to support high quality and comprehensive trade and investment outcomes in the region, particularly its ongoing implementation of the Lima Declaration on the FTAAP.

The main purpose of building such a massive free trade area is to establish a modern, comprehensive, high quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership cooperation framework, said Liu Qiufang, marketing director for China business at Andritz, the Graz-headquartered Austrian plant engineering group.

“We believe the healthy economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region will facilitate the sale and export of our products and even our projects in this market, especially in China and Southeast Asia,” she said.

Since the pandemic has accelerated the process of digitalization, many APEC member economies have been keen to create an enabling, inclusive and nondiscriminatory digital economy that fosters the application of new technologies, allows businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive, facilitates data flow, and allows goods and services to move seamlessly across borders, said Cui Weijie, vice-president of Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Published : June 08, 2021

By : ZHONG NAN/China Daily/ANN

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Japan govt to provide COVID-19 vaccine, freezers for workplace inoculations

The government intends to provide companies with COVID-19 vaccine, freezers and other medical resources, according to its basic plan on workplace vaccinations.

In principle, the government envisages that at least 2,000 doses will be administered to 1,000 people at one location. Companies will be asked to secure doctors and other necessary personnel on their own, so as not to affect the vaccination programs conducted by local governments.

Inoculations for people 65 or older are currently underway in municipalities across Japan. To achieve the government’s target of 1 million shots a day, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hopes to increase inoculations by adding workplaces to the venues administering shots.

The government plans to launch workplace vaccinations on June 21, with earlier starts allowed if a company has completed its preparations. The COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna, Inc. will be used for workplace vaccinations and needs to be stored at about minus 20 C.

The government plans to deliver vaccine, specialized freezers, syringes and other medical equipment to companies.

Under the basic plan, the government calls for companies to make their own arrangements regarding such elements as doctors, nurses, operational staff and venues. Companies also will be asked to draw up vaccination plans, which include the number of shots to be administered and the expected duration of their programs, and then obtain approval of the plans from the relevant prefectural government.

Workplace vaccinations are expected to be conducted at in-house clinics, or by visiting personnel from external medical institutions. Some companies are also likely to have their employees go to outside medical institutions.

The basic plan states that 400 vaccinations will be possible daily in a setting where three lanes are set up for inoculations with 15 personnel — two doctors, six nurses, six staff members such as receptionists and attendants, and one supervisor of the inoculation site.

The government plans to start workplace vaccinations with large companies that have 1,000 or more employees and then expand the efforts to include chambers of commerce and industry and venues jointly set up by multiple firms. It will soon establish a special section on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office to provide general information about workplace vaccinations.

Published : June 08, 2021

By : The Japan News/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001788

Jeju Air resumes flights to Saipan amid vaccination drive

Jeju Air Co., South Koreas biggest budget carrier by sales, said Tuesday it has resumed flights to Saipan in a preemptive measure to absorb post-coronavirus travel demand.

Jeju Air started to provide one flight a week on the Incheon-Saipan route on the day following permission from the transport ministry, a company spokesman said over the phone.

“We expect most of the initial passengers to be businessmen, Koreans residing overseas and their family members. But pent-up demand for travel (to the U.S. territories) is expected to rise depending on the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations,” he said.

Guam and Saipan currently allow exemptions from a two-week quarantine for incoming passengers who received Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccines.

AstraZeneca vaccine recipients and unvaccinated people are required to take a coronavirus test at the territories’ airports and undergo a two-week quarantine at local facilities.

In South Korea, passengers from Saipan are required to undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine in their homes or other places.

The Saipan route has been suspended for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with most of the international routes operated by local airlines.

Jeju Air has suspended most of its flights on international routes since early last year due to countries’ entry restrictions.

International flights to five cities — Tokyo, Osaka, Weihai, Harbin and Manila — are available for business travel and Koreans residing in the cities. (Yonhap)

Published : June 08, 2021

By : The Korea Herald/ANN

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40001787

Asean, China foreign ministers discuss Covid-19, South China Sea and Myanmar

BEIJING – The crisis in Myanmar was high on the agenda at a meeting between the foreign ministers of Asean and China in the south-western Chinese city of Chongqing on Monday (June 7), with at least three ministers voicing their concern at the lack of progress in the peace process.

In the first in-person meeting for the grouping since the pandemic began, the foreign ministers of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia via a proxy expressed disappointment that Myanmar had not kept to the “five-point consensus” agreed by Asean leaders at a special summit in April with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar’s military-appointed foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin was present at Monday’s meeting. 

Other issues tackled in the meeting, which was part of the 30th anniversary of Asean-China Dialogue Relations, included the reopening of borders, even as several South-east Asian nations deal with a surge in Covid-19 infections, and the tensions in the South China Sea. 

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the ministers highlighted the “very effective” cooperation between Asean and China in battling Covid-19, pointing to China’s provision of essential medical supplies and support for vaccination across the region.

“The fact that we were able to help each other at the point in need built confidence and bodes well for the future,” he told the Singapore media after the meeting. “Clearly now for the next few months of Covid-19, we’re looking (to) carefully, deliberately, reopen safely, assuming the situation stays under control.”

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called for more vaccine cooperation with China, especially now that both the Sinopharm and Sinovac jabs have been added to the World Health Organisation’s emergency-use list.

“Beyond the issue of vaccines, the Asean-China partnership in building health resilience regionally is also important,” she said.

In a lengthy statement released close to midnight, China’s Foreign Ministry said the dialogue platform showed that even though neighbours might sometimes have friction, they can “transform their contradictions into cooperation” for regional peace and stability. 

“We must jointly maintain stability in the South China Sea and avoid unilateral actions that may intensify conflicts,” the statement said, calling for a speedy completion of a Code of Conduct in the waterway. 

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Balakrishnan said trade and sustainable development were also discussed.

The meeting comes as Beijing has sought to step up engagement of South-east Asia, in part in response to a hardening of the United States’ stance against it.

But this engagement is tempered by its actions in the South China Sea, such as when Chinese military aircraft entered Malaysia’s maritime zone airspace on May 31, prompting Kuala Lumpur to scramble its jets.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had said on Saturday he would raise this issue with China during the meeting, but he was unable to attend the event after he had to be placed under quarantine.

While the foreign delegations did not have to quarantine, they were made to arrive a day earlier for nucleic acid tests and kept to a designated bubble in Chongqing.

The foreign media was not allowed to attend the meeting in the south-western city to prevent potential exposure.

Dr Balakrishnan also met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the meeting, where China noted Singapore’s role in deepening Beijing’s relations with the South-east Asian grouping, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Published : June 08, 2021

By : Elizabeth Law/The Straits Times/ANN