by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Business Summit, Events, World
Singapore : Finance Ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Monday signed the bloc’s first agreement to facilitate e-commerce transactions in the region.
Asean, the third largest trading bloc in the world, is holding meetings on Monday and Tuesday prior to its official summit scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Singapore, reports Efe news.
The newly signed agreement will foster speed and cooperation between businesses and governments, generating more efficient transactions, said Singaporean Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.
At a parallel business summit, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for greater integration among Southeast Asian nations at a time when multilateralism was under threat from protectionist measures by the US and China.
The US-China trade war is expected to be a major topic on the ASEAN Summit agenda with participation of member countries Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
The summit will also have the presence of the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
US President Donald Trump will be represented by Vice President Mike Pence, who will also participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Papua New Guinea later.
It is not known so far whether Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Pence will hold a bilateral meeting to address the trade war between the two countries that has undermined world markets in recent months.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business Summit, Events, World
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
Tokyo : Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday began his two-day state visit to Japan, to address the regional challenges ahead of the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Duterte would meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was expected to exchange views on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Before leaving for Japan, Duterte called for a dialogue with North Korea to curb the ongoing tension in the region, Efe news reported.
“It would be good for America, Japan, (South) Korea and Kim Jong-un to talk and convince him to sit down in a round table (and say) nobody is threatening him.
“There will be no war — and that no one is planning to destroy them,” Duterte said during a press conference in Davao, Philippines, before leaving.
The Japanese government noted that Duterte’s visit, the second since the beginning of his presidency in June 2016, is a good opportunity for the leaders to exchange views before the Asean Summit, which will take place in Manila in mid-November.
Before his meeting with Abe, Duterte would participate in a business event on Monday and meet Foreign Minister Taro Kono, as well as the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Shinichi Kitaoka.
After holding a joint press conference with Abe, Duterte is set to attend a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister at his official residence.
On Tuesday, the Philippine President will be received by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace, which will be his first meeting with the royal couple.
Duterte arrived in Japan early on Monday. His visit was shortened from three to two days due to the tropical storm Saola near Japan, which resulted in over fifty flights being cancelled on Sunday.
—IANS
