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US-ASEAN partnership has never been stronger: US President’s special envoy

Nov 14. 2020US National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien (centre) addresses the 8th ASEAN-US Summit on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất 

By Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — The strategic partnership between the US and ASEAN representing the aspirations of nearly a billion of people has never been stronger and is a partnership of “free, equal and independent nations” which respect one another’s sovereignty.

That was the message from US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien who was speaking at the 8th ASEAN-US Summit on Saturday.

O’Brien, who is also Special Envoy of President Donald Trump, commended Việt Nam’s 2020 chairmanship and leadership in advancing ASEAN’s centrality and the US-ASEAN strategic partnership.

He said: “This is a special year for US-ASEAN as the two sides marked five years of the strategic partnership.

“At this time of global crisis, the US-ASEAN strategic partnership has become more important as we work together to combat coronavirus.”

The special envoy said the US appreciated ASEAN’s efforts to keep key supply chains open and factories operating.

He said the US was glad to contribute US$87 million and personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19 in the ASEAN region.

The US and ASEAN have partnered to build an area of public health and the fight against infectious diseases over the past two decades in an effort to “save American and ASEAN lives”.

He told the summit the two sides have witnessed robust co-operation against the pandemic and collaborated in science, health, education, livelihoods and security.

They have expanded security co-operation in various areas, working to reinforce international work. Last year, the US committed nearly $250 million to enhance ASEAN defence capacity and train many ASEAN service members.

The US has also supported ASEAN in developing the next generation of talent and promoting an independent future for children.

The US invested almost $2 billion in education, academics, culture, international exchange within ASEAN over the last 15 years, according to the envoy.

In terms of the US’ investment in economic growth in Southeast Asia, the US private sector invested $384 billion in ASEAN countries. ASEAN has been the US’ fourth largest trading partner and trade between the US and ASEAN reached over $354 billion last year.

In his opening remarks at the ASEAN-US summit, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said ASEAN and the US had maintained the partnership on the principle of mutual respect and understanding for the common goal of enhancing stability, development and cooperation for mutual interest over the four decades.

The global outbreak of the COVID-19, coupled with both traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the past year has made the need for cooperation and coordination between nations more urgent, he said.

“We appreciate the United States as one of the partners who actively promote many practical cooperation initiatives to assist ASEAN countries and the Southeast Asia region to improve their disease response capacity,” the Prime Minister said.

“In the spirit of ‘cohesive and responsive’, ASEAN want to strengthen effective cooperation and close coordination with the international community and partners, including the United States to respond promptly and effectively to emerging challenges, including controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, minimising its negative impact as well as maintaining a stable environment for countries to focus on economic recovery and promoting sustainable development,” he said.

At the meeting, ASEAN leaders affirmed that they would facilitate the operations of more than 4,200 US investors and businesses, including 350 leading ones in the region.

They also encouraged US businesses to prioritise a number of areas such as infrastructure development, clean energy, high technology and digital economy.

The ASEAN leaders welcomed the US for its active contribution to maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and aviation in the South China Sea (known as East Sea in Việt Nam).

They hoped the US would supports efforts to uphold international laws and serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the development of an effective and appropriate Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international laws and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982). — VNS

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Vietnam’s smartphone market sees new names, besides Samsung, Oppo and Apple

Nov 14. 2020A vendor chatting on her smartphone. Smartphones are expected to rapidly expand their coverage in Việt Nam where the Government is eyeing to push up digital transformation. — Photo vtv.vn 

By Viet Nam News/ANN

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s smartphone market is seeing a number of new names this year, besides Samsung, Oppo and Apple which have been dominant in the market for many years.

The new names include Vsmart, Realme, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Statistics from Thế Giới Di Động and FPT Shop showed that the top 10 best-selling smartphones at these two leading smartphone retail chains from the beginning of this year included products by Vsmart, Realme, Vivo and Xiaomi, which rarely happened during the past five years when Samsung, Oppo and Apple took the top positions.

Six best-selling smartphones at Thế Giới Di Động and FPT Shop in the first nine months of this year were Samsung A51, Vsmart Joy 3, Samsung A11, Oppo A31, Realme 5i and iPhone 7 Plus.

Both Vsmart Joy 3 and Realme 5i were in the best-sellers of Thế Giới Di Động and FPT while Vivo and Xiaomi were only in the list of the former.

Recent figures of the global technology market analytic firm Canalys showed the top five smartphone brands in Việt Nam in the third quarter were Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Vsmart and Vivo.

Samsung lead with a unit market share of 33 per cent, a drop of six per cent against the same period last year. Oppo came second with a market share of 15 per cent, a fall of 21 per cent, followed by Xiaomi with a share of 12 per cent and nine per cent share for both Vsmart and Vivo.

Xiaomi expanded rapidly in the third quarter at the rate of 114 per cent year-on-year and Vivo at the rate of 75 per cent.

In Southeast Asia, the top smartphone brands in the third quarter were Samsung with a unit share of 20 per cent, Vivo with 19 per cent, Oppo with 18 per cent, Xiaomi with 14 per cent and Realme with 13 per cent.

Samsung and Oppo saw decreases of 14 per cent and 15 per cent respectively in annual growth while Realme saw an increase by 113 per cent, Xiaomi by 18 per cent and Vivo by 37 per cent in the regional market.

Adsota’s reports on Vietnam Digital Advertising earlier this year showed that 43.7 million out of the country’s population of 97.4 million, or 44.9 per cent, used smartphones, putting Việt Nam in the top 15 countries in terms of smartphone users in the world.

Smartphones were expected to rapidly expand their coverage in Việt Nam where the Government was eyeing to push digital transformation.

Minister of Information and Communication Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng at the recent National Assembly Q&A session said that as smartphones were essential for digital transformation, the market will see the launch of cheap smartphones, at around VNĐ600,000-700,000 each, to ensure that every Vietnamese citizen could afford one.

The ministry asked to expand the coverage of 3G, 4G and 5G to every corner of the country to ensure all people in mountainous, remote and isolated areas are able to access the internet.

The ministry also proposed to develop a project producing cheap smartphones in an effort to promote the use of smartphones for the country’s digital transformation.

From October, Viettel launched the Vsmart Bee Lite smartphone at a price of VNĐ600,000 (instead of VNĐ1.49 million) together with a three-month data package of 15GB per month.

Vsmart Bee Lite was a product of the cooperation between Viettel and VinSmart in an effort to ensure that everyone could afford smartphones and access digital utilities. — VNS

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Korea, Mekong nations upgrade relations, adopt joint statement

Nov 14. 2020President Moon Jae-in attends the Korea-Mekong summit on Friday. (Yonhap) 

By Choi He-suk
The Korea Herald/ANN

South Korea and countries along the Mekong River on Friday upgraded relations to that of strategic partners, and adopted a joint statement outlining ways to further increase cooperation at the second Korea-Mekong Summit held via video link.

Friday’s summit among the leaders of Korea and Mekong River nations – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – was the second to be held since Moon proposed the summit in 2018.

At Friday’s summit, Moon stressed the need for cooperation among the countries, and pledged to further strengthen Korea’s relations with the countries including on the matter of COVID-19 response.

“Korea plans to provide $10 million for providing COVID-19 vaccine to developing countries to COVAX, and to work with Mekong nations to ensure equitable access to the vaccine,” Moon said.

“Travel for essential personnel will be ensured, and efforts for strengthening infrastructure and connectivity in the region will be continued.”

Pledging to work with the UN and other international organizations in managing the resources and environmental conservation of the Mekong River, Moon said that South Korea will increase development aid and Korea-Mekong cooperation fund.

Citing an increase in trade and traveling between Korea and the Mekong nations since 2011, Moon proposed upgrading Korea’s relations with the concerned countries.

According to Moon, trade has increased 2.5-fold and travel has increased 3.3-fold since 2011.

“Today, I propose taking another step to ‘relationship of strategic partners’,” Moon said.

“I hope for Korea and the Mekong (nations) to open the post-COVID era through trust and solidarity, inclusiveness and cooperation.”

As for the joint statement adopted at the summit, it outlines seven areas in which the two sides will prioritize.

The seven areas are culture and tourism, human resource development, rural development, infrastructure, ICT, environment and nontraditional security.

The Korea-Mekong Summit is the second event in a week of multilateral summits Moon will participated in.

On Saturday, the ASEAN Plus 3 summit — involving the 10 ASEAN members plus Korea, China and Japan — is scheduled to be held, followed by the East Asia Summit later in the day. The East Asia Summit includes the ASEAN states, Korea, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia and the US.

The series of multilateral summits will wrap up with a summit of countries in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership — the ASEAN states, Korea, Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand.

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Li: Further cooperation sought with ASEAN members

Nov 14. 2020Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech via video at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Beijing on Nov 13, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua] 

By ZHANG YUNBI
CHINA DAILY/ANN

China will further advance cooperation with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, champion multilateralism and free trade, and safeguard world peace and development while upholding the concept of community with a shared future for mankind, Premier Li Keqiang said.

When delivering a speech via video at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit hosted by Vietnam on Friday, Li said Beijing is well aware of a great many difficulties and challenges it is faced with, which range from economic recession and shrinking trade to a continued surge of protectionism.

The premier said the Chinese people are resilient and market entities in China have strong confidence in the future.

The Chinese economy may yield positive annual growth this year, and among the world’s major economies, the country has taken the lead in achieving growth leading to recovery, Li said.

China has resolutely introduced effective and rational macroeconomic policies in a timely way to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The summit was held at a time when the world economy has been undergoing its worst recession since World War II.

Trade and investment between China and ASEAN have continued to grow this year in contrast to the downturn of the global economy, with ASEAN becoming China’s largest trading partner.

Li made a three-point proposal calling on all countries to resolutely champion peaceful and stable circumstances for development, strive to promote regional economic integration and make every effort to advance economic recovery.

Over the past 75 years since World War II, Asia has moved from turmoil to peace, from confrontation to cooperation and from poverty to prosperity, Li said.

Countries are well aware of the significance of maintaining regional peace and stability, which not only serves the need of growing businesses and investment, but also helps in shaping prospects for long-term stability and growth, Li added.

Speaking on regional economic integration, Li said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade pact is expected to be signed during ongoing leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation, which will send a positive, clear signal for regional economic integration and economic globalization.

China is willing to strengthen synergy between development blueprints with ASEAN countries on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win teamwork, and promote cooperation in co-building the Belt and Road, he added.

On regional economic recovery, Li said East Asia has long played an important role in the world economy, and this great responsibility should continue to be fulfilled in the current context. Countries should work together to promote regional economic recovery, development and move toward prosperity, which will inject strong impetus into global economic recovery as well, he said.

During this process, countries should carry out collaboration on advanced technology and cooperation among large enterprises and work for new highlights in such areas of cooperation as small-and medium-sized enterprises, Li said.

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Biden aims to reassure Japan amid China’s growing shadow

Nov 14. 2020

By Michitaka Kaiya and Hiroshi Tajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
The Japan News/ANN

Joe Biden, who looks certain to be the next U.S. president, apparently aimed to keep China in check by affirming that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

Biden made the remark during his first phone talks with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday.

It was Biden who brought up the Senkakus after Suga called for a stronger Japan-U.S. alliance. Biden criticized China for its aggressive provocations around the Senkaku Islands. He went on to say his administration would commit to applying to the Senkakus the security treaty’s Article 5, which obliges the United States to respond if Japan comes under attack.

Regarding Biden’s remarks, a Japanese government official present when Suga held the conversation said he was pleasantly surprised that the issue was addressed right away by the U.S. side.

The Japanese side had intended to focus on congratulating Biden for his victory in the U.S. presidential election and building a personal relationship between Suga and Biden during the phone talks. So in the beginning of their conversation, Suga did not specifically mention the Senkakus.

“We had been prepared to bring up the issue as a card to play, depending on the flow of their conversation,” a senior Japanese government official said.

After the talks, a senior Foreign Ministry official welcomed Biden’s remarks, saying: “The policy agenda was in complete alignment. It’s perfect.”

Biden is believed to have wanted to warn China by demonstrating a strong posture toward the Japan-U.S. alliance as Beijing has repeatedly taken to employing intimidating military actions not only near the Senkaku Islands, but also in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and elsewhere. He also apparently intended to reassure Japan and other U.S. partners in Asia.

“Biden must have been briefed well by his aides,” a senior Japanese government official said.

■ Lessons from Obama’s time

Biden’s foreign policy advisers include former senior officials who served in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama when Biden was the vice president. Among them are former Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, a former national security adviser to Biden.

As these people are familiar with Japan’s concerns and the situation in East Asia, the Japanese government has made efforts to communicate its position on various issues, with people such as senior Foreign Ministry officials taking advantage of the U.S. diplomatic channels they had in the past.

These former U.S. senior officials, however, failed to curb China’s hegemonic moves as the Obama administration placed priority on Washington’s relationship with Beijing. The Obama administration initially frustrated Tokyo by not declaring Washington’s commitment to applying the security treaty to the Senkaku Islands.

In September 2010, after a fishing boat from China collided with Japan Coast Guard vessels near the Senkakus, then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finally referred to the application of the security treaty regarding the islands.

Some government officials are concerned about the negative impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s prolonged contesting of the presidential election results.

“If there is a delay in U.S. action during the transition, China could accelerate its provocations,” said a source connected to the Japan-U.S. relationship.

After the phone talks with Suga, Biden’s transition team released a statement, saying Biden “underscored his deep commitment to the defense of Japan and U.S. commitments under Article 5.”

By bringing this issue to the forefront, Biden apparently believes that sending such a clear message early will serve his interests.

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Korean Air seeking to buy Asiana Airlines

Nov 14. 2020Asiana Airlines aircraft sits at Incheon International Airport (Yonhap) 

By Shin Ji-hye
The Korea Herald

Hanjin Kal shareholder KCGI opposes possible merger

Korean Air is seeking to acquire Asiana Airlines with the support of the Korea Development Bank, according to the airline industry on Friday.

Industry sources said Asiana Airlines’ creditor KDB is considering mergers and acquisitions of the two nation’s largest airlines in a way to support Hanjin Group, which owns Korean Air. The most likely option is that the KDB invests in Hanjin Kal, the holding company of Hanjin Group, through a paid-in capital increase method allocated to a third party, and Hanjin Kal buys a 30.77 percent stake in Asiana Airlines.

The industry expects that Hanjin Group will send a letter of intent to Asiana Airlines next week.

The KDB said, “We are reviewing it among various options, but nothing has been confirmed.”

Asiana Airlines is under creditor control following the failure of the acquisition talks with HDC Hyundai Development. Asiana has already used up 3.3 trillion won ($2.9 billion) supported by state-run banks and recently received additional support of 240 billion won from the government.

The possible merger between the nation’s two largest airlines will, however, face antitrust issues. If Korean Air acquires Asiana, it is expected to hold more than 75 percent of the market share on passenger routes to the Americas and major cargo routes.

Later in the day, private equity fund KCGI, a shareholder of Hanjin Kal, released a statement opposing the merger plan.

“It is reasonable to suspect that KDB’s consideration of acquiring Asiana Airlines by funding Hanjin Kal is a measure to preserve the position of the current management, ignoring the rights of other shareholders.”

It added that, “The purchase of Asiana Airlines, which is facing its worst financial crisis, without any specific concerns about industrial synergy, could lead to damages for customers. Therefore, it is necessary to go through a sufficient review and transparent consultation process.”

Currently, Hanjin Kal is owned by a three-way alliance led by KCGI — alongside Bando Engineering & Construction, and Cho Hyun-ah — which has a 46.71 percent stake and Hanjin Chairman Cho Won-tae, who has a 41.4 percent stake.

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Officials: China unlikely to dilute fiscal stimulus package

Nov 13. 2020In this undated file photo, a worker counts Chinese currency renminbi at a bank in Linyi, East China’s Shandong province. (PHOTO / XINHUA) 

By Chen Jia
China Daily/ANN

Policymakers are unlikely to make any changes to China’s existing fiscal stimulus package next year, but may focus on additional steps to bolster economic recovery, especially to improve people’s livelihood and save jobs, officials from the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

The scale of directly channeled fiscal funds, from the central government to municipal-and county-level governments, will be further expanded next year to spur economic growth, said Hao Lei, an official from the budget department of the Ministry of Finance.

More funds, especially under the existing central-to-local government transfer payment scheme, will be included in the direct channel system for the primary-level authorities, bypassing the provincial-level governments, to finance projects that can improve people’s livelihood and ensure sufficient employment opportunities, said Hao.

The direct fund system will be included in the nation’s budget management system in the future with tighter regulations and auditing requirements. Meanwhile, the existing fiscal management system and regulatory standards for the use of the transferred funds will not change, the official said.

“This arrangement will make the direct funds even larger, covering more areas, and (the tool) will be more targeted, which can generally cover all the central government subsidies for improving people’s livelihood,” said Hao.

By the end of October, the central government had directly transferred 1.7 trillion yuan (US$256 billion) of fiscal funds to primary-level governments, with local governments having spent 1.198 trillion yuan, or 70.9 percent of the total, to support COVID-19 pandemic control and economic recovery. About 57 percent of the funds have been injected into projects related to people’s livelihood, according to official data.

Under the direct fund system, the funds can be received by the primary-level authorities in a week, compared with a month earlier.

Wang Zecai, a researcher at the Ministry of Finance’s Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, said the measures will further strengthen the capacity of the primary-level governments to increase fiscal fund supply.

“The measures will encourage local governments to make detailed budget plans for supporting economic growth and encouraging investment in fields that need urgent funding. It will also prevent misuse of government funds,” said Wang.

Cutting taxes and fees is another objective of the fiscal stimulus package and the same is expected to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan this year, it said.

During the past five years, China’s tax reductions might have been around 7.6 trillion yuan. In the first three quarters of the year, the tax burden for some large companies dropped by 9.4 percent, compared with a decline of 6.9 percent in 2019, said Cai Zili, a senior official from the State Taxation Administration.

This year, half of the funds under the direct system of 1 trillion yuan was raised through special COVID-19 treasuries, and the money has been sent to local governments after evaluating their debt repayment capabilities.

The special COVID-19 treasuries are being used to support infrastructure contraction or projects to control the pandemic. For some projects with very low investment returns, local governments can transfer funds from other earned income to repay the treasuries, said Deputy Finance Minister Xu Hongcai, adding that the additional debt burden on local governments due to the issuance of the special COVID-19 bonds was not a cause for concern.

“Because of its low risk level, debt defaults are unlikely in the case of special treasuries,” said Xu. He, however, urged proper control of the risks arising from local governments’ contingent liabilities and said it was necessary to prevent systemic financial risks.

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[Malaysia] Move to address foreign worker issue

Nov 13. 2020Keeping in tune: Hamzah speaking to the media as Saravanan looks on at the Home Ministry in Putrajaya. — Bernama 

By MAZWIN NIK ANIS
The Star/ANN

PUTRAJAYA: Employers in the construction, manufacturing, plantation and agriculture sectors will be allowed to legally employ undocumented foreign workers under the Labour Recalibration Plan for undocumented immigrants, the Home Minister announced.

Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the government would also roll out the Repatriation Recalibration Plan where undocumented immigrants can volunteer to return to their homelands, subject to certain conditions.

The two plans will be implemented for six months from Nov 16 to June 30, 2021.

The Labour Recalibration and Repatriation Recalibration plans are for employers and undocumented immigrants in Peninsular Malaysia.

“It must be emphasised that allowing undocumented immigrants to be legally employed

will not threaten job opportunities for Malaysians.

“The opportunity for locals is guaranteed based on the local-foreign workers ratio policy that is in place. Priority is always given to locals to fill vacancies at workplaces in all economic sectors.

“The freeze on new intake of foreign workers in all sectors remains, to support the government’s policy to prioritise local workforce,” he said at a press conference.

Also present was Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

Hamzah said for now, only employers in the four sectors whose operations are considered 3D – dangerous, difficult and dirty – would be allowed to employ undocumented immigrants as workers.

Undocumented immigrants and employers who wish to take part in either programmes are to deal directly with the Immigration Department and the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department, he said, adding that no third party or vendor will be involved.

“The implementation of the plans does not involve additional operation costs to the government and it is handled fully by government agencies.

“In fact, the government is expected to make RM95mil from compounds and other payments that undocumented immigrants and employers will have to pay,” said Hamzah.

The minister said the two plans would allow authorities to collect data and demographics on undocumented immigrants in the country so that enforcement could be effective and holistic.

Hamzah said the Home and Human Resources ministries would engage with embassies and high commissions as well as industry players to inform employers and undocumented immigrants on what the two plans entailed.

He said a special committee, which he will co-chair with Saravanan, would meet every three months and also look into the possibility of expanding the recalibration plan for undocumented immigrants to other sectors, besides policy on employment of expatriates.

The first meeting is scheduled for Dec 3.

Hamzah said after the plans expired on June 30 next year, the Immigration Department would kick off its Undocumented Immigrants Holistic Enforcement Plan which would see mass enforcement activities.

Employers found guilty of hiring foreigners without valid permits will be given the maximum penalty of RM50,000 fine and jail up to 12 months or both for each undocumented immigrant employed, and those hiring more than five will also be given the rotan.

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Japan’s Covid-19 cases hit new daily high as ‘third wave’ fears rise

Nov 13. 2020

By Walter Sim
The Straits Times/ANN

TOKYO – Japan hit a new daily high in Covid-19 cases on Thursday (Nov 12), with at least 1,651 cases nationwide, according to a tally by broadcaster NHK.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of Japan’s coronavirus response, warned of more stringent measures if the infections continue to spike, leading to an overburden on medical institutions.

“We are not at a point where a state of emergency must be declared, but we need to have the strongest sense of caution,” he warned.

Experts warn that the current surge is particularly worrying, given that socioeconomic activities have, for the most part, returned to pre-Covid-19 days. Officials have, in recent days, been stressing the infection risks posed by nomikais, or after-work drinking parties that are common at workplaces or among friends, as well as in close-quarter environments.

Adding to these fears is the onset of winter, when people tend to spend more time indoors in heated but poorly ventilated rooms.

In response to the surge, Mr Nishimura said that capacity limits for large events will be kept in place for another three months until the end of February. Japan caps attendance at either 10,000 people or 50 per cent of a venue’s capacity, whichever is lower, though in a trial last month, 32,000 baseball fans were packed into a Yokohama stadium over three match days.

The government has also said that the Go To Travel domestic tourism campaign should not be made a scapegoat for the spread of Covid-19, despite a surge in asymptomatic cases in popular tourist destinations with large urban populations.

Japan’s worst day in its battle against the coronavirus comes despite having entered into agreements to relax travel restrictions with countries that have largely managed to put a lid on infections, including Singapore, China and South Korea.

Mainland China registered 15 new cases on Wednesday, the national health authority said on Thursday, bringing its total tally to 86,299. South Korea added 143 more cases on Thursday, raising its caseload to 27,942. Japan’s total was 113,816 cases.

Tokyo recorded 393 cases on Thursday, its highest since Aug 8. Infectious disease expert Norio Ohmagari, who is advising Tokyo authorities, warned that this portends the start of a sharp rise in infections.

Osaka logged 231 infections, in the third straight day it has had over 200 cases. Aichi, where the city of Nagoya is situated, had 143 cases, the highest figure since Aug 8.

New daily peaks were logged in areas like Hokkaido, with the bulk of the 236 cases in Sapporo. Kanagawa, which is part of the Greater Tokyo region, had 147 cases; while Hyogo, where the city of Kobe is situated, had 81 cases.

These spikes come even as Tokyo prepares to welcome two high-level visitors. International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach will make a four-day visit from Sunday, while Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will make a two-day trip from next Tuesday. Mr Morrison will be the first head of state in Tokyo since the outbreak.

Mr Bach, who will be making his first visit to Tokyo since the decision was made in March to postpone the Games by a year, said discussions over the possibility of an outright cancellation of the Games will not be on the table.

A Japanese panel, tasked to look into virus prevention measures, said on Thursday that it will decide by spring whether to set audience caps at sporting venues, and whether to even allow foreign spectators into the country. In the event they are allowed, however, they will likely be exempted from serving a 14-day quarantine.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has asked his Cabinet to compile a third supplementary budget for the current fiscal year to finance a new economic stimulus package that will likely include more support for businesses, as well as funding for an extension of the Go To Travel campaign.

Even without the latest spike, the Covid-19 crisis has already driven up bankruptcies and suicides across Japan, while also pushing unemployment to a three-year high.

“The government must work at full force to allow social and economic activities as well as measures to slow the spread of the virus to keep going as we prepare for winter,” Mr Suga said.

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Asean Summit: Singapore calls for equitable, steady, affordable supply of Covid-19 vaccines to region

Nov 13. 2020Singapore will contribute US$100,000 (S$134,900) to the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund. PHOTO: ST FILE 

By Linette Lai
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – The region has to ensure an equitable, steady and affordable supply of Covid-19 vaccines for its people once these are available, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Asean Summit on Thursday (Nov 12).

He made the call for “vaccine multilateralism” as he stressed the importance of regional cooperation to mitigate the pandemic’s long-term impact at the meeting held remotely this year.

He added that Singapore supports global vaccine initiatives such as the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) Facility, whose members include many Asean nations.

“Many leading vaccine candidates are being developed by our external partners, as well as our Asean member states too,” PM Lee said. “We should work with them to facilitate the production and distribution of vaccines to meet the needs of our region.”

Singapore will contribute US$100,000 (S$134,900) to the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund, which helps member states procure the medical supplies and equipment needed to combat the pandemic.

On the economic front, leaders should redouble efforts to enhance Asean’s competitiveness in the post-Covid-19 world, Mr Lee added. He noted that there are existing frameworks that can be built on, such as the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity 2025 and the Asean Smart Cities Network. In addition, the recently launched Asean Customs Transit System helps facilitate the cross-border flow of goods.

“These initiatives can catalyse our recovery, and let us make full use of technology as we adjust to new ways of living and doing business in the post-Covid world,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that Asean has made progress in various areas, including the mid-term reviews of the Asean Community Blueprints. It has started developing the Asean Community’s post-2025 vision, and is expected to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership deal on Sunday following years of negotiations.

But one challenge ahead will be that great power rivalry is not absent in South-east Asia, with tensions between the United States and China putting the region under greater stress and testing Asean centrality and unity, Mr Lee said.

Even so, Asean can make a modest contribution towards better mutual trust and cooperation among the major powers.

“Our regional architecture is open and inclusive by design, with Asean at its centre,” Mr Lee added. “We must retain our value proposition of offering a neutral platform for countries to work together on regional and global challenges such as counter-terrorism, cyber security and transboundary haze pollution.”

The Asean leaders attended four annual summits with their key partners – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Indian PM Narendra Modi – on Thursday afternoon, with PM Lee speaking on the need for deepening economic cooperation and connectivity between the region and its partners.

The Asean-Japan Summit also saw the launch of the Asean Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, which aims to strengthen the functions of national health agencies and help prevent the spread of disease.

Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the centre and related efforts will enhance members’ joint capacity to respond to medical emergencies and future epidemic threats.

Asean leaders also agreed to adopt an Asean travel corridor arrangement framework to facilitate the resumption of essential travel in the region, and have asked officials to work on the details.

They also stressed the need to develop a common set of pre-departure and post-arrival health and safety measures to protect people, and emphasised that travellers had to strictly abide by public health regulations of receiving countries.

The corridor is part of a wider Asean Comprehensive Recovery Framework which leaders also endorsed. It outlines ways for the region to emerge stronger from the crisis, such as investing in education and reskilling, and enhancing digital and financial inclusion.