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.
Mae Hong Son hotels fill up as sunflowers bloom in chilly weather
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
People are rushing up North to Mae Hong Son now that the mercury is dropping and flowers are starting to bloom.
Phanuwat Khadnak, the provincial tourism office chief, said his office surveyed hotels and resorts in the province’s seven districts and found that most hotels and resorts are reporting up to 75% occupancy, which is far higher than in other times of the year.
He said the number of foreign arrivals has also picked up since October, accounting for up to 30% of all tourists.
Urbanites are heading to Mae Hong Son not just to enjoy the cool, but to also admire the vast fields of Bua Tong or sunflowers at Doi Mae U Kho.
Other attractions include the Yunnan Rak Thai village, the stunning Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Mu and the Ban Klo Se Lo camping ground.
Tourists can also enjoy spectacular sunsets over the so-called Pai Canyon and stunning sunrises from the Yun Lai Viewpoint, not to mention the many waterfalls and hot springs.
Thailand pushes for Phuket as next Specialised Expo venue
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2022
The Foreign Ministry is being urged to get Thai embassies and consulates to lobby for the election of Phuket as the venue of Specialised Expo 2027/28.
A source from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said on Sunday that there were three reasons for pushing for Phuket to be selected. They are:
• Phuket will be the first venue in Southeast Asia and South Asia to host the Specialised Expo.
• The Phuket expo will showcase measures to do away with inequality in public health services and measures to protect the environment under the “People, Planet and Prosperity” concept.
• Phuket will serve as an ideal venue as it is already an international hub for health and a leading destination for medical tourism.
Specialised Expos, also known as “International Recognised Exhibitions”, are global events designed to respond to a precise challenge facing humanity.
The source said campaign teams in Thailand and overseas have been actively lobbying for members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to vote for Phuket.
The election will be held in June next year as part of a BIE general assembly.
Five countries are competing for the next Specialised Expo, namely: the United States (Minnesota), Thailand (Phuket), Serbia (Belgrade), Spain (Malaga) and Argentina (San Carlos de Bariloche). Each candidate has submitted a detailed candidature dossier to the BIE.
Phang-nga’s millionth tourist lands with much fanfare, province aims for 10m next year
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
Phang-nga province has set an ambitious goal of attracting as many as 10 million tourists next year after welcoming its millionth foreign visitor of 2022 last week.
Governor Ekkarat Leesen said on Saturday that the southern Andaman province had set its sights on drawing at least 10 million tourists, both domestic foreign, next year and expected to generate at least 1 billion baht in revenue. He was speaking at the launch of Phang-nga’s Tourism Season 2022 under the theme “Dive to the Nature – Enjoy It All”, which was presided over by Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
Despite the Covid-19 crisis, Phang-nga has been continously attracting foreign tourists this year. The millionth tourist, Veronika Labajova from Slovakia, arrived in Phang-nga on November 6 for a 20-day stay in the Khao Lak area. She was greeted with presents from the tourism and sports minister, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Foundation for Khao Lak Preservation.
Hundreds of urbanites escaped to Chiang Mai this weekend to enjoy frosty, chilly mornings.
Temperatures atop Doi Inthanon mountain dropped as low as 4 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, with a light sprinkling of frost.
This was the sixth day in a row that frost was spotted. It was first seen on Monday – a sign marking the start of Thailand’s cool season.
Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai’s Chom Thong district is a popular tourist attraction in the North, especially during the cool season when people come to catch sight of the sun rising from a sea of fog.
The temperature at Kew Mae Pan Viewpoint on the peak of the mountain dropped to 4ᵒC on Saturday morning, though it was a bit warmer at 9ᵒC near the head office of the Doi Inthanon National Park.
Tourists showed up as early as 6am to watch the sunrise, take photographs and enjoy the chilly weather while walking along the 4.8-kilometre Kew Mae Pan nature trail.
Though temperatures had dropped to 12ᵒC in Chiang Mai’s other mountaintop in Mae Taeng district’s Huai Nam Dang National Park, no frost was visible and visitors were noticeably fewer than at Doi Inthanon.
The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast that temperatures will rise by a degree or two in the North from Sunday to Friday next week due to a weakening high-pressure system covering upper Thailand.
Some areas in the North will experience thundershowers as the easterly and southeasterly winds are blowing in moisture from the South China Sea.
People have been advised to take care of their health, especially with the weather constantly changing.
A fish dish served at the Fish a Week eatery operated by Kikkoman Corp. in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
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