Australia boosts relations with Southeast Asian nations

8/3/2017 - 5:07:24 PM

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop began her six-day visit to Thailand and the Philippines on August 2 to enhance the bilateral relations and promote Australia’s economic and security benefits in Southeast Asia.

Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop (Source: ualm.org.au)

In Bangkok, Bishop is scheduled to meet with her Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai and other Thai ministers and leaders to discuss measures to increase the role of Australia in political, economic and security issues.

On this occasion, Australia will officially launch a new embassy in Bangkok, which is considered one of the biggest external events of Australia this year.

She added that Australia and Thailand are celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2017. Thailand is the eighth biggest trade partner of Australia.

In Manila, Bishop will attend the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum along with activities to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the bloc.

The meetings will focus discussion on major challenges in the region, including the East Sea matter, the Korean Peninsula, and terrorism.

Bishop said she is co-chairing the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney of the New South Wales State in March 2018 to affirm the significant contributions of ASEAN to promoting regional peace and prosperity.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-

Source: VNA

Challenges from population aging

Many countries are grappling with rapidly aging population. As population aging becomes an irreversible global trend with significant impacts on economic and social sectors, nations face the urgent task of creating flexible policies to adapt to and make the most of this trend to build prosperous and sustainable societies.

World tourism industry promotes potential and cohesion

With a series of stimulus measures, the world tourism industry is on the way to recovery as before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Facing the opportunity to take off, the "smokeless industry” is expected to strongly contribute to global economic growth while promoting potential and cohesion, contributing to peace and sustainable development.

Existential danger from COVID-19 pandemic

The danger from the COVID-19 pandemic is still latent, threatening people’s health and lives in the context that the immunity provided from the COVID-19 vaccine has decreased. Many other dangerous diseases are also likely to break out when the global vaccination rate slows down, due to inequality in access to health services, vaccine hesitancy, and consequences of economic recession.

Vietnam among ASEAN countries recording EV sales surge

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is witnessing a rise in the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB Research).

International friends bid farewell to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

The respect paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, with high-level delegations from foreign countries and international organisations paying their last respects and expressing deep condolences.

Global outpouring of grief for Vietnamese Party chief

A wave of condolences have poured in from world leaders, international organisations, rulling parties, Communist parties and partner parties following the death of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.