Bali feels heat of global tensions as Biden-Xi G20 meeting looms
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
Indonesia’s resort island of Bali is making final preparations to host world leaders at the G20 Summit, amid hopes and concerns from locals and tourists alike.
On beaches in Bali’s Kuta, optimism over Indonesia’s turn in the global spotlight is mixed with fear that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will derail the summit.
Indonesia is resisting Western pressure to disinvite Russia and expel it from the group. Russia meanwhile has confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will not attend this week’s meeting.
Meanwhile Bali vendors such as Sayang Mundi have more immediate worries. Shops and vendors have been banned from opening in three beachside districts around the summit venue. The loss of business that will result has sparked fears of another roadblock to Bali’s already-slow pandemic recovery.
Indonesia’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the host nation has found the right geopolitical balance by not barring Russia from the summit.
“Indonesia may not be one of the major powers both in economic or strategic power, but Indonesia can be seen as one of the very influential middle powers,” said the think tank’s executive director Yose Rizal Damuri.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo told the Financial Times that Russia was welcome at the summit, which he feared would be overshadowed by a “very worrying” rise in international tensions.
The November 15-16 summit is the first among G20 leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a bloody war, international sanctions and a global fuel crisis.
It will also mark the first face-to-face meeting between US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of China, a staunch ally of Russia in the face of Western-led sanctions.
Asean leaders forge tighter ties with India at summit
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
Asean and India forged tighter relations in people-to-people, trade and other potential sectors at the 19th Asean-India Summit held in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
Hosting the summit, Cambodian PM Hun Sen said that Asean and India have made steady progress over three decades to become important socio-economic partners with a wide base of cooperation.
“We have the commitment and resolve to strengthen our partnership so that Asean-India can have a closer relationship and a higher capacity to ensure peace and prosperity to our respective peoples, both now and in the future,” Hun Sen said.
Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar co-chaired the opening of the summit, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Asean-India dialogue partnership.
The summit saw leaders of Asean and India agree to further enhance their relationship by promoting existing sectors while focusing on people-to-people relationships through trade and other potential areas.
Asean-India relations have grown rapidly from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995. The relationship was further elevated with the inauguration of annual Asean-India summits in 2002.
UN chief warns that Myanmar crisis now threatens Asean security
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has warned Myanmar’s crisis is a threat to security across Southeast Asia while calling on the country’s junta to immediately return to the path of democracy.
Speaking at the UN-Asean summit in Phnom Penh on Saturday, Guterres said Myanmar’s military government must release political prisoners, end violence and restore democracy, as the only solution to bloody conflict engulfing the country since last year’s military coup.
He said an inclusive peace process is required, adding that Indonesia would work hard to achieve this as next year’s Asean chair.
Indonesia has pushed for a stronger Asean response to Myanmar’s crisis after the regional bloc’s five-point peace plan was largely ignored by the junta as it wages a brutal military campaign against nationwide resistance to its rule.
“The situation in Myanmar is an unending nightmare for the people of the country and a threat to peace and security across the region. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians are horrendous and heart-breaking. I urge the authorities in Myanmar to listen to their people, release political prisoners, and get democratic transition back on track immediately,” Guterres said.
“That is the only way to stability and peace,” he added, urging Asean to find a unified strategy towards Myanmar centred on the needs and aspirations of the country’s people.
He also called for Myanmar to create conditions for the voluntary return of almost one million Rohingya refugees.
Following the summit, he tweeted: “At Asean, I condemned the appalling human rights situation in Myanmar and repeated calls for the country’s authorities to release all political prisoners and launch an inclusive process to return to democratic transition.
“I also urged all member countries to develop a regional framework to protect refugees,” he added.
Japan declares ‘Fish Days’ to reel in plummeting seafood consumption
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
Japan has designated four days per month as “Fish Days” in a bid to reverse falling sales of the island nation’s staple food.
Japanese consumers are losing their taste for seafood as diet trends change, piling pressure on the country’s huge fisheries industry.
Fish consumption has plummeted in Japan over the past 20 years as meat consumption rises.
The average seafood consumption per person in Japan fell 60 per cent between 2001 and 2021, from 40.2 kilograms to 23.2 kilos.
For “fish days” on the third to the seventh of each month, the Fisheries Agency has teamed up with more than 600 companies and organisations to increase seafood consumption.
Companies are releasing new seafood-related products and opening fish restaurants.
A fish dish served at the Fish a Week eatery operated by Kikkoman Corp. in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
On November 1, Kikkoman Corp launched an eatery called Fish a Week in Tokyo, the company’s first seafood eatery.
Kikkoman said it wants to promote a healthy diet for people by offering a wide menu of Japanese, Western and Chinese dishes using the company’s own ingredients including soy sauce, soy milk and tomato products. It also plans to sell bento box lunches featuring fish from a food truck.
Food manufacturers have also launched new fishy initiatives.
In September, Suzuhiro Kamaboko, producer of the famed kamaboko fish cakes in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, released a product called the Fish Protein Bar. The bars offer a tasty and nutritious snack and aim to boost fish consumption as well as health.
Supermarket operator Aeon Retail Co has stepped up sales of fish-cooking sets and devoted 50% more of its sales floor to seafood products derived from environmentally friendly fisheries and aquaculture.
Convenience store operator FamilyMart Co also plans to increase the number of side dishes with fish, such as grilled sablefish marinated with miso paste.
Biden says US-Asean pact to address ‘biggest issues of our time’
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
US President Joe Biden hailed the launch of a new US-Asean pact as a critical step towards tackling “the biggest issues of our time” on Saturday.
In his first visit to Southeast Asia as president, Biden said the region was at the heart of his administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Washington was committing resources, not just rhetoric, under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“Together we will tackle the biggest issues of our time, from climate to health security, to defend against the significant threat to the rule-based order,” he said, opening a meeting in Cambodia with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“We will build an Indo Pacific that’s free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure,” he added.
Asean is engaging a host of leaders, including Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australia’s Anthony Albanese and South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol.
The event is the first in a series of summits in Southeast Asia over the next seven days that are expected to discuss tricky global issues, from the war in Ukraine, climate, and regional tensions over the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and North Korean missile launches.
Biden’s presence comes as the United States seeks to reassert itself after a period of regional uncertainty about its commitment under his predecessor Donald Trump, and concerted efforts by rival China to boost its influence and fill the void.
China and Asean announced an upgrade in their ties to the comprehensive strategic partnership level last year.
Earlier on Saturday, South Korean leader Yoon proposed a mechanism for dialogue with China and Japan to address future crises including from the impacts of war on areas like security of food and energy as well as climate change.
Yoon and Japan’s Kishida also criticised North Korea’s attempt to boost its nuclear and missile capabilities, calling it a serious and unacceptable threat.
In a separate exchange with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Kishida said Japan and China should strive toward building a “constructive and stable” relationship.
Asean leaders on Friday issued a “warning” to Myanmar’s military leaders, who were barred from the summit, to make measurable progress on a peace plan.
Global leaders are attending an East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh on Sunday, ahead of a business gathering and a G20 leaders summit in Bali next week, before moving to Bangkok for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum.
At the gatherings, Biden will focus on the Indo-Pacific region and talk about US commitment to a rules-based order in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said earlier this week.
Some analysts played down expectations of any dramatic developments from Biden’s presence but noted it demonstrated the United States was getting back to “normal diplomacy”, including with the upgrade in strategic ties with Asean.
“That doesn’t mean anything concrete, but symbolically it puts the US at the same level as China,” said Greg Poling, head of the Southeast Asia programme at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Biden on Saturday said the meetings would discuss Russia’s “brutal” war against Ukraine and US efforts to address the war’s global impact.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is attending those events on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, while hosts Indonesia on Saturday confirmed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address the G20 meeting virtually.
Ukraine is seeking to strengthen its engagement with Asean and its foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, is asking its leaders to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warning that staying neutral is not in their interests.
He has also urged them to prevent Russia from holding up the movement of Ukrainian agricultural products under a Black Sea grain deal, which could expire on November 19, and “stop Russia from playing hunger games with the world”.
World and Asean leaders attend gala dinner at summit in Cambodia
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
World and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc leaders on Saturday attended a gala dinner during the summit in Cambodia.
US President Joe Biden, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were seen seated together at the long table during dinner.
Biden on Saturday said the meetings would discuss Russia’s “brutal” war against Ukraine and U.S. efforts to address the war’s global impact.
Russia’s Lavrov is attending those events on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, while hosts Indonesia on Saturday confirmed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address the G20 meeting virtually.
Asean-China comprehensive strategic partnership: A political perspective
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
Since becoming an Asean Dialogue Partner in 1996, China has deepened its relations with the regional bloc throughout the years. In 2021, Asean and China elevated the relationship to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
There are many prospects the two sides can reap, especially in economic and people-to-people cooperation. However, from the political angle, the partnership has barely made a difference. Both Asean and China still have a lot of work to do in order to build mutual trust and confidence.
Elevating to the level of CSP shows the commitment of Asean and China to deepening relations. It emphasized that the relations between Asean and China would go to another level with holistic cooperation in almost all fields of cooperation.
Nevertheless, this does not necessarily offer much of a prospect, especially in the scope of political-security cooperation according to the Joint Statement of the Special Summit back in November 2021 (Asean Secretariat, 2021). Politically speaking, according to the statement, it is the usual reaffirmation to support each other’s independence and sovereignty as well as various rhetorical statements of preserving peace and stability in the region.
Beyond the statement, it is observed that Asean and China have cooperated comprehensively throughout the years. The economic engagement between the two has increased alongside the exchange of leadership visits and meetings as well as people-to-people connectivity. Unlike other powers, China’s top leadership has shown keen interest to meet with Asean counterparts at various levels.
Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that there is still a trust deficit going on within the engagement between Asean and China. According to ISEAS’ State of Southeast Asia Survey in the last couple of years (2019-2022), many scholars and observers in the region recognized that China is indeed the most influential in the region, but at the same time a threat.
Why, despite the deep engagement, has the perception among Asean peoples of China as a threat not faded away?
First of all, there are many thorny issues that Asean and China have not completely resolved.
Some Asean countries still have an ongoing dispute over maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea. So far, there are some dispute-management mechanisms, like the Declaration of the Conduct of the Party of the South China Sea (DOC); and negotiation toward a more legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) is in motion.
Yet, there are still issues surrounding this matter; and sometimes, there were skirmishes between China and some Asean claimants at the South China Sea (CNN Philippines, 2022; Mastro, 2020).
Beyond the issue regarding the sea, there is a growing concern over the Mekong River transboundary management. Hydropower dams built in the upstream river have been alleged as one of the causes of a shortage of water during the drought in some Asean countries a few years ago (Lovgren, 2019). Throughout the years, there has been a debate about whether the Mekong issue is the next South China Sea dispute.
All of these unsettled problems may erode the trust of some Asean member-states in China.
Second, the spill-over effect from the United States-China rivalry could undermine the confidence of Asean member-states in their northern neighbor. It is general knowledge that the US and China are now in a fierce competition mode in the global arena. Southeast Asia is no exception.
Among Asean countries, for years now, there have been concerns that the two superpowers push them to take sides (Radio Free Asia, 2022). Lately, both the US and China usually assure Asean countries that they do not want any countries to take a side; but through diplomatic discourses, both powers have presented indirect pressure by framing their own agenda as good, and the other as bad.
This competition has serious implications on the unity and centrality of Asean in the future, and could perhaps deteriorate the relations between Asean and China as well.
However, there are still feasible ways to strengthen the implementation of the China-Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in political-security cooperation.
First of all, both Asean and China should continue to have a frank and open discussion and find solutions to the ongoing issues, like the South China Sea and the Mekong River.
A clear-cut settlement may not be achieved immediately; but during the negotiation, there should be a risk-reduction mechanism to respond in a timely manner, if any issues occur. The mechanism could be in the form of a hotline from the ground connecting to Beijing and other Asean countries’ capitals.
Furthermore, there should be a regular working group of Asean-China relevant authorities with the collaboration of track-II institutions in order to identify and discuss any arising challenges in those hotspots.
Second, beyond cooperation under the lens of solving issues, deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Asean and China should not be exclusive. China and Asean should open the space for cooperation with other dialogue partners within Asean-led platforms, like Asean Plus Three (APT), AseanRegional Forum (ARF) and East Asia Summit (EAS), especially regarding issues of common concerns, like non-traditional security issues, including climate and public health. Furthermore, cooperation to push forward the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus on the Myanmar Crisis should be an area of cooperation between Asean, China and other Dialogue Partners. With this inclusiveness, it would mitigate any negative perceptions toward the partnership between Asean and China.
In the current geopolitical context, building trust and confidence is important. If trust and confidence were to collapse, it would jeopardize other aspects of cooperation between Asean and China.
Him Rotha
The Jakarta Post
Asia News Network
The writer is a researcher at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace.
Yoon voices hope for swift reactivation of S. Korea-China-Japan cooperation
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday voiced hope for a swift reactivation of trilateral cooperation mechanisms among South Korea, China and Japan.
Yoon made the remark during a summit involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and South Korea, China and Japan, known as the Asean Plus Three, which brought together the leaders of nine Asean countries, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “South Korea will play an active role as this year’s chair of the South Korea-China-Japan summit and coordinator representing South Korea, China and Japan for the Asean Plus Three,” Yoon said.
“I hope trilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the South Korea-China-Japan summit, will be swiftly reactivated.” The three nations have not held a trilateral summit in nearly three years. The last such meeting was held in China in December 2019.
Yoon also noted this year marks 25 years since the launch of the Asean Plus Three and that the grouping has played a large role in strengthening practical cooperation between Asean and East Asia during that time.
“I hope we will further strengthen cooperation going forward to overcome the multiple crises we face,” he said, citing war and human rights violations, as well as a crisis in food security and energy security.
“I believe we must overcome these complex crises through our solidarity and cooperation,” Yoon said, adding there will be results for international peace and prosperity if Asean and the three East Asian nations respond jointly to challenges.
East Timor granted observer status by Asean; path to full membership open
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
Asean leaders have agreed in principle to admit East Timor as the 11th member of Asean, according to an Asean press statement released during the bloc’s summit in Phnom Penh on Friday.
The statement said that the admission for East Timor, officially Timor-Leste, will grant the country “observer status” and allow its participation in all Asean Meetings, including the Summit plenaries.
The statement came after their consideration on the outcomes of fact-finding missions to East Timor which were conducted by the Asean Political-Security Community, Asean Economic Community and Asean Socio-Cultural Community.
The Asean leaders also agreed to formalize an ‘objective criteria-based’ roadmap for East Timor’s full membership, all of which will be based on the milestones identified in the reports of the Fact-Finding Missions conducted by the three Asean Community pillars.
The Asean Coordinating Council is tasked with formulating the roadmap and reporting it to the 42nd Asean Summit for adoption, the statement said.
They also agreed that: “All Asean Member States and external partners shall fully support East Timor to achieve the milestones through the provision of capacity building assistance and any other necessary and relevant support for its full membership in Asean”.
Cambodia has long supported the inclusion of East Timor to the 10-nation bloc.
Asean remains committed to Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar crisis
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
Asean Leaders issued a statement on the evaluation of the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) established in April 2021 to seek a solution for the Myanmar crisis.
The bloc’s leaders reviewed and made decisions during the 40th and 41st Asean Summit and related meetings on November 11 in Phnom Penh.
According to the two-page statement, the Asean leaders consider that the situation in Myanmar remains critical and fragile, with growing violence affecting not only Myanmar but also Asean’s community-building efforts. It said Asean is committed to assisting Myanmar to find a peaceful and durable solution to the ongoing crisis.
“With little progress achieved in the implementation of the 5PC, it is therefore incumbent on the Myanmar Armed Forces to comply with its commitments to the Asean Leaders,” the statement said.
They tasked the Asean foreign ministers to develop the implementation plan for the 5PC and maintained that Myanmar’s non-political representation to the Asean Summit and the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting remained in force.
“We reaffirmed that the Asean Summit is the supreme decision-making body and will make the final decision on the implementation of the 5PC, including whether the consensus cannot be achieved, in line with the Asean Charter,” it added.
Asean urged all parties concerned to de-escalate tensions and exercise the utmost restraint.
“All parties concerned that bear arms should be held accountable and condemned for violence, noting that the Myanmar Armed Forces are the single largest military force in Myanmar,” it said, calling for all parties in Myanmar to facilitate the work of the Asean General Secretariat and the AHA Centre in delivering humanitarian assistance to all in need in Myanmar without discrimination.
According to the statement, Asean will call for support from the UN and other external partners in their efforts to get the 5PC implemented. Other approaches to the 5PC may also be sought.
It concluded that these decisions will be evaluated in future Asean sessions, and mandated the foreign ministers to monitor progress and report to the Asean Summit.
A fish dish served at the Fish a Week eatery operated by Kikkoman Corp. in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
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