The Agonist - Asia

Asian leaders seek to reduce Western trade ties

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:36:25 -0700

Jason Szep and Martin Petty | Hua Hin, Thailand | October 25

Reuters - Asia-Pacific leaders called on Sunday for regional-wide free trade and other measures to reduce dependence on the United States and big Western markets as Asia leads the way out of the global economic downturn.

[...]

At the meetings, held under tight security, Hatoyama found tentative support from his Asian counterparts for a proposed regional community inspired by the European Union that would account for nearly a quarter of global economic output.

"I think my long-term vision of forming an East Asia Community was largely welcomed by participants," Hatoyama told reporters. The bloc, however, would take more than 10 years to create and may include some sort of regional currency, he added.
The end of the American Empire is near

Solar eclipse pits superstition against science

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:44:53 -0700

Mumbai | July 20

AFP - Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun.

In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

more after the jump

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for Caesarean deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.

Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some sort of attack by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a devastating natural disaster in Southeast Asia.

An Indian political leader could be killed, he said, and tension between the West and Iran is likely to increase, escalating into possible US military action after September 9, when fiery Saturn moves from Leo into Virgo.

"The last 200 years, whenever Saturn has gone into Virgo there has been either a world war or a mini world war," he told AFP.

It is not just in India that some are uneasy about what will transpire because of the eclipse.

Leaders gather for Shanghai talks

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:55:27 -0700

Shirong Chen | June 15

BBC -
Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders are gathering in Russia for the ninth Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit.

Some will also attend the first summit of the four emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India and China.

The main agenda item at the meetings in Yekaterinburg will be how to deal with the global economic crisis.

Putting the two top-level meetings next to each other highlights the dominance of the economic crisis for both groups.

The two meetings are further signs of a global power shift.

The Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, or SCO, was formed in 2001 by China, Russia and the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to curb extremism in the region and enhance border security.

India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia later joined as observer members.

It was China's answer to a multi-polar world and increasingly it has played a role in promoting regional security, for example by contributing to reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Chung King Mansions

Thu, 07 May 2009 02:06:58 -0700

A fascinating place that provides 90% of cell phone to sub-Saharan Africa?

Wikipedia

Why global warming could make or break south-east Asia

Tue, 05 May 2009 01:13:30 -0700

Nicholas Stern and Haruhiko Kuroda | May 5

The Guardian - South-east Asia has the most to lose from global warming but could gain much by developing a low-carbon future

In the middle of this financial crisis there is a debate taking place over whether governments can afford both massive tax-funded spending programmes needed to revive ailing economies, and the emissions cuts that are needed to combat climate change.

Few regions on Earth throw this tension into sharper contrast than south-east Asia, where many nations are highly vulnerable to the effects of global warming while also having the chance to develop low-carbon economies.

The plain truth is that nations can no longer afford to delay action on climate change, even temporarily, and such spending can serve as effective fiscal stimulus. Despite the global economic downturn the world is still warming. A major new report from the Asian Development Bank – The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review – explains how countries that invest now in climate change adaptation will better protect their people, economy and environment. Even with aggressive adaptation efforts, the negative impacts of climate change will continue to worsen. Only concerted global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can ultimately steer the world off its current calamitous course.

The report examines a wide range of climate change impacts in Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It finds a "business as usual" approach will result in a difficult future for the region and its people.

Asian Nations Unveil $120 Billion Liquidity Fund

Mon, 04 May 2009 03:19:43 -0700

Bali, Indonesia | May 4

Ministers from across Asia agreed to set up an emergency $120 billion liquidity fund that 13 Asian nations can tap to help counter the global financial crisis.

At the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting here, finance officials also said Asian governments must spend more on social safety nets and reduce their reliance on export-driven growth, as they grapple with the economic meltdown.

Japan, South Korea and China on Sunday agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, on most aspects of the liquidity fund, called the Chiang Mai Initiative, including country contributions, borrowing accessibility and surveillance mechanisms.

The initiative aims to create a network of bilateral currency-swap arrangements among Asean and the three East Asian countries. Asean includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Japan, South Korea and China will provide 80% of the $120 billion currency pool and Asean members the remaining 20%. Japan will contribute $38.4 billion, while China, including Hong Kong, will also offer $38.4 billion. South Korea will provide $19.2 billion.

Under terms of the program, smaller Asian economies will be able to borrow larger amounts in proportion to their contributions than the more-developed economies.

The ministers also unveiled a $500 million credit-guarantee and investment mechanism, which will be used to enhance the credit ratings of companies that want to issue debt.

Sri Lanka Orders Halt to Fighting Circled Rebels

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:48:31 -0700

SOMINI SENGUPTA | New Delhi | April 13

NYT - Having rebuffed international appeals to protect civilians trapped in a war zone in its northeast, the Sri Lankan government on Sunday ordered a two-day “pause” in fighting.

AFP- Sri Lanka on Monday stripped Norway of its role as broker of the island's moribund peace process, a government official told AFP. "The government of Sri Lanka perceives that there is no room for Norway to act as (peace) facilitator," the official said, adding that a formal letter was handed over to Norway on Monday.

ExpressBuzz - The Sri Lankan government has strongly condemned the attack on the country’s embassy in Norway on Sunday, and charged that the Norwegian authorities had not given adequate protection to the mission, despite the existence of a threat to it from the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Reacting to the incident in which LTTE cadre had stormed the embassy and broken furniture and office equipment, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona said that Sri Lanka condemned the attack in the “strongest possible terms.”

Northern Voices - The Dalai Lama welcomes the truce that has been declared in the Sri Lankan conflict to mark the two-day Sinhala and Tamil New Year holiday. "I share the widespread international concern for the welfare of civilians caught between the warring parties and welcome the opportunity this respite offers for them make their way to safety. May they be able to do so. Both sides in this conflict, despite their resort to the use of force, come from Buddhist and Hindu communities respectively that have ancient, deep-seated respect for the principle of ahimsa or non-violence. Now that they have reached a pause in their fighting, I appeal to both sides to extend it and build on it by reopening dialogue together. In the long run, genuine dialogue is the only way to resolve even the most intransigent conflicts. I pray that this New Year truce may offer an opportunity for Sinhalese-Tamil relations to take a new, more constructive direction."

14th Asean Summit cancelled

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:57:50 -0700

April 11

New Strait Times - The 14th Asean Summit is cancelled, the Thai government announced in Pattaya today.

A bilateral meeting between Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was cancelled today, among the victims of anti-Thai government protests held outside the Royal Cliff Hotel here. As the number of red-attired supporters of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinatwatra swells outside of the Asean and related summits venue, meetings between foreign ministers earlier planned was also cancelled.

DPA -Officials decided to cancel the ASEAN summit after anti-government protestors broke into the summit venue at Pattaya, a seaside resort town about 100 kilometres south of Bangkok. The Thai government said the meeting of the 10 ASEAN members and six dialogue partners including China, Japan and India, was cancelled out of concerns for security, and would be held again into about two months time.

Japan Jobless Rate Jumps to a Three-Year High of 4.4%

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:43:43 -0700

Toru Fujioka | Tokyo | March 31

Bloomberg - Japan’s recession deepened as the unemployment rate surged to a three-year high, wages fell and job openings plunged at the fastest pace in three decades.

The jobless rate rose to 4.4 percent last month from 4.1 percent in January, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo. The ratio of jobs available to each applicant tumbled to 0.59 from 0.67, the biggest drop since 1974, the Labor Ministry said.

A must read backgrounder on the New Great Game

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:19:23 -0700

Asia Times - March 26
"Liquid War: Welcome to Pipelineistan"
By Pepe Escobar

What happens on the immense battlefield for the control of Eurasia will provide the ultimate plot line in the tumultuous rush towards a new, polycentric world order, also known as the New Great Game.

Our good ol' friend the nonsensical "global war on terror", which the Pentagon has slyly rebranded "the Long War", sports a far more important, if half-hidden, twin - a global energy war. I like to think of it as the Liquid War, because its bloodstream is the pipelines that crisscross the potential imperial battlefields of the planet. Put another way, if its crucial embattled frontier these days is the Caspian Basin, the whole of Eurasia is its chessboard. Think of it, geographically, as Pipelineistan.

All geopolitical junkies need a fix. Since the second half of the 1990s, I've been hooked on pipelines. I've crossed the Caspian in an Azeri cargo ship just to follow the $4 billion Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline, better known in this chess game by its acronym, BTC, through the Caucasus. (Oh, by the way, the map of Pipelineistan is chicken-scratched with acronyms, so get used to them!)

I've also trekked various of the overlapping modern Silk Roads, or perhaps Silk Pipelines, of possible future energy flows from Shanghai to Istanbul, annotating my own do-it-yourself routes for LNG (liquefied natural gas). I used to avidly follow the adventures of that once-but-not-future Sun-King of Central Asia, the now deceased Turkmenbashi or "leader of the Turkmen", Saparmurat Niyazov, head of the immensely gas-rich Republic of Turkmenistan, as if he were a Conradian hero.

Read on at Asia Times

Japanese unemployment

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:44:53 -0800

This soap opera story from a Japanese guy who lost his job and family has some good comments. Well, the story has a hole in it and people are speculating in the comments to fill it.

India Failing to Control Open Defecation Blunts Nation’s Growth

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:27:32 -0800

Jason Gale | Singapore | March 4

Bloomberg - In the shadow of its new suburbs, torrid growth and 300- million-plus-strong middle class, India is struggling with a sanitation emergency. From the stream in Devi’s village to the nation’s holiest river, the Ganges, 75 percent of the country’s surface water is contaminated by human and agricultural waste and industrial effluent. Everyone in Indian cities is at risk of consuming human feces, if they’re not already, the Ministry of Urban Development concluded in September.

Financial Meltdown Decolonising Asian Minds'

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:09:48 -0800

Kalinga Seneviratne | Singapore | Jan 1

IPS - The year 2008 may well go down in history as a watershed in which the global financial crisis, precipitated by the collapse of Western economic models, ‘decolonised’ Asians minds, say observers.

"In the past, Asian governments expected Western counterparts to be role models of good governance,’’ observed well-known Singaporean diplomat and author Kishore Mahbubani in a recent commentary published in London’s ‘Financial Times.’

Pointing to how major United States and European financial institutions have fallen like packs of cards, due mainly to the failure of financial regulators in their respective countries, Mahbubani argues that Asian governments’ belief in good governance and regulation may serve as a real asset in the storm.

"The gold standard that the West assumed it had in the field of regulation has vanished," Mahbubani points out. "Asians realise that they must forge their own standards.’’

An increasing number of Asian economists and commentators have pointed out in recent weeks how U.S. and European governments are doing exactly the opposite of what they had advised Asian governments to do during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Asian governments are now quietly building a new financial architecture in the region that will not be dictated to by the West.

Raising the World’s I.Q.

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:13:19 -0800

Nicholas D. Kristof | Dec 4 | NYT

Travelers to Africa and Asia all have their favorite forms of foreign aid to “make a difference.” One of mine is a miracle substance that is cheap and actually makes people smarter.

Unfortunately, it has one appalling side effect. No, it doesn’t make you sterile, but it is just about the least sexy substance in the world. Indeed, because it’s so numbingly boring, few people pay attention to it or invest in it. (Or dare write about it!)

It’s iodized salt.

Almost one-third of the world’s people don’t get enough iodine from food and water. The result in extreme cases is large goiters that swell their necks, or other obvious impairments such as dwarfism or cretinism. But far more common is mental slowness.

Mumbai rocked by deadly shootings

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:43:48 -0800

Mumbai | November 26

bbc - Gunmen have opened fire at a number of sites in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay), killing at least two people.

Police said the shootings appeared to be terrorist attacks.

A number of people were reported injured when gunmen opened fire in a train station and at a restaurant popular with tourists.

Shootings were also reported in other parts of the city near two hotels and a hospital. At least two suspected grenade attacks were reported.