China
Radio International, in collaboration with leading national media outlets from
Southeast Asia, selects the top 10 news stories in Southeast Asia in 2013.
ADMM-Plus
Drill
Member
countries of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) jointly held
the first drill from 17 to 20 June. Ten members from ASEAN and 18 other
countries including China participated in the drill which kicked off in
Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
Southeast
Asia Haze
Environment
Ministers from 5 Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand, held a meeting to discuss the haze problem on
17 July in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. Thick clouds of haze were caused by
wildfires set ablaze by unidentified parties in the Indonesian island of
Sumatra.
Amendments
and Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar
set up a review committee comprising of 109 senators to amend its constitution
from 25 July. Aung San Suu Kyi declared her intention to run for president in
the 2015 elections despite the constitution of Myanmar prohibiting people whose
spouses or children hold foreign citizenships from serving in high-ranking
political positions. Her late husband and two sons all hold British
citizenships.
The
Code of Conduct in the South China Sea
China
and ASEAN countries discussed the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea from
14 to 15 September. The meeting was held in Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu
province and achieved positive developments over disputes in the South China
Sea.
China
and ASEAN Countries
China's
new leaders successively visited Southeast Asian countries. Chinese President
Xi Jinping first visited Indonesia and Malaysia and then attended APEC meetings
in Bali, Indonesia from 2 to 8 October. Premier Li Keqiang carried out a set of
visits to Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam from the 9th to 15th of the same month.
Both moves are believed to signify friendly relations and cooperativeness
between China and ASEAN countries.
PRISM-Gate
in Southeast Asia
PRISM-gate
further developed in Southeast Asia. Australian media, quoting Edward Snowden,
revealed that Australia and Singapore were involved in the U.S. global network
of surveillance over Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and
Vietnam. Indonesia then cut off many bilateral deals with Australia.
Typhoon
Haiyan
Typhoon
Haiyan hit the central Philippines on 8 November. The disaster is said to have
affected over 14 million people with 6,155 dead, 1,785 missing and more than
27,000 injured as of 29 December.
The
Preah Vihear Temple
The
International Court of Justice in the Hague, the Netherlands, reached a verdict
on the sovereignty disputes over the Preah Vihear Temple on the border between
Thailand and Cambodia on 11 November. The verdict further explains an earlier
decision over the issue made in 1962 and defines the border line in the area.
The court confirmed Cambodia's sovereignty over the entire area while Thailand
was ordered to withdraw its army and police forces. Both sides agreed on the
decision.
Thailand
Political Protests
Yingluck
Shinawatra, the current Prime Minister of Thailand, is faced with the most
serious crisis of her office. Protests have been ongoing since November as they
believed a proposed amnesty bill would lead to the return of former PM Thaksin
Shinawatra, Yingluck's brother. Nationwide demonstrations then led Yingluck to
dissolve parliament and call an early election, to be held on 2 February 2014.
The
Bali Package
The
Bali Package was agreed upon in the Ninth Ministerial Conference of the WTO in
Bali, Indonesia. The package is believed to be a breakthrough from the deadlock
of the Doha Development Round. It is also the first trade agreement reached
through the WTO that has been approved by all its members.
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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