India and ASEAN / East Asia

The Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum is a venue to discuss issues pertaining to India's security environment, her strategic outlook on global affairs and as well as the effect of international relations in the Indian Subcontinent. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times.
svinayak
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14223
Joined: 09 Feb 1999 12:31

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by svinayak »

A_Gupta wrote:A few from Roger Cohen of the NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/opini ... n-yew.html
"Can-Do Lee Kuan Yew"


The Republicans with their harsh stance on immigration may not let the following survive:
Lee made one other big Asian contribution: He valued American power, believed in its stabilizing regional influence. He was not an American declinist, once telling the political scientist Joseph Nye that China could draw on a talent pool of 1.3 billion people, but the United States could draw on the world’s seven billion people and recombine them in a diverse culture that exudes creativity in a way that ethnic Han nationalism cannot.
Singapore is a small country and it needs large allies. It was doing balance of power by inviting US into its region.
With US behind it it could face PRC and also all its rivals in ASEAN
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2015/03/23/th ... -cracking/
titled "Thailand’s Teflon Economy Finally Seems to Be Cracking"
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.eturbonews.com/56894/vietnam ... tors-india
INDIA (eTN) - Vietnam is keen to promote tourism from India and for this held a roadshow in Delhi on March 24, where over a dozen agents, officials, and media interacted with Indian agents to tell of the many attractions of the country and the packages being offered to cater to groups and individual travelers.

It was felt that a direct air link between the two countries would help increase traffic. At present, Jet Airways flies to Vietnam via Bangkok, and Vietnam Airlines has plans to increase destinations from 53 to 80 in the next few years. The industry hopes by then that direct flights will be possible.

The need to increase awareness of Vietnam in India and of India in Vietnam was also stressed, as two-way traffic would encourage airlines to fly.

At present, about 50,000 Indians visit Vietnam every year, and as part of the Indian Look East policy, this will increase.

Vietnam has culture, natural beauty, coastlines, and cuisine attractions the agents said, adding that shopping and good prices were added attractions.

Suman Billa, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, government of India, said that Vietnam was an uncluttered product and asked Vietnam to do more roadshows in other parts of the country. He said India was also planning on having roadshows in Vietnam.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 707661.cms
NEW DELHI: India and Thailand today explored possibilities of deepening defence cooperation between the two Asian countries.

Thailand's Permanent Secretary of Defence Gen Sirichai Distakul, who is here on a three-day visit, held meetings with Defence Secretary R K Mathur and Secretary Defence Production G Mohan Kumar.

Sources said the talks focused on deepening the cooperation especially on the defence production side.

The Asian neighbour is keen to join hands with India for manufacture of small weapons, sources said.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.newkerala.com/news/2015/fullnews-36962.html
The government has decided to observe National Mourning on Sunday, March 29, as a mark of respect to Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore.
gakakkad
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4667
Joined: 24 May 2011 08:16

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by gakakkad »

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singap ... ion-st-201

remembering Lee Kuan Hew..

I think this person's policies deserves a separate thread...Because a lot of what Modi plans to do is based on his policies..
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

^^^ Yes, understanding Lee Kuan Hew's legacy is important.

Until that thread is established:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what- ... e-sa-aiyar
Lessons for India from Singapore — SA Aiyar

MARCH 29 — When Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore’s first prime minister in 1959, its per capita income was S$400. Today, it is S$55,000. No other country has gone so fast from rags to riches.

Yet in the Nehru-Indira era, Indian socialists viewed Lee with contempt as a neo-colonial puppet destined for humiliation and poverty. As things turned out, India earned maximum humiliation as a beggar for foreign aid, and the number of poor Indians doubled in 1947-77 even as Singapore soared.

Nehru feared foreign trade and investment as vehicles for India’s re-colonisation through economic means. So, he sought to reduce both and aim for self-sufficiency through import substitution. Incredibly, socialist intellectuals saw no contradiction in extolling self-sufficiency while constantly demanding more foreign aid.

Nehru had the typical brahminical contempt for the bania. He admired the Soviet Union, where visionary intellectuals supposedly led the country forward with five-year plans. He wanted the public sector to dominate the economic heights, enabling noble brahminical intellectuals to decide outcomes rather than slimy banias.

Nehru was inward looking and public-sector friendly. Lee was outward looking and private-sector friendly. Far from viewing international trade and investment as vehicles of neo-colonial domination, he saw them as pathways to unprecedented prosperity. He grasped the key virtue of globalisation: it converts poverty from a disadvantage into an advantage provided a poor country develops good institutions and investment conditions. The lower the wages in a poor country, the more competitive it becomes in exports and investor attraction.

Of course, rapid development will raise wages rapidly. But provided productivity rises as fast as wages, competitiveness will not suffer. Lee grasped that the key was to constantly raise productivity. That required good governance plus market-friendly policies. This went dead against Nehru’s philosophy. It fits in much better with Modi’s.

As for socialist fears that globalisation meant neo-colonialism, Lee said what mattered was the quality of internal governance. A badly governed country will always be easy prey for outside dominators, but not a well governed country. Unlike most Indians, Lee could see that the biggest threat to freedom and prosperity came not from western imperialism but communist imperialism, and so developed close ties with the US. The Soviet collapse in 1990 vindicated him.

In the 1960s, Singapore and other Asian tigers (Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea) created miracle economies growing at almost 10 per cent per year. India was stuck at 3.5 per cent growth. Yet most Indians looked down on the Asian tigers, saying their path would take them to poverty and neo-serfdom. In fact Singapore soon became much richer than its colonial master in per capita income ($55,000 against $42,000). India, of course, stayed poor.

Lee did not follow laissez faire. For him, good governance included massive public, social and physical infrastructure that was world class, facilitating productivity and private enterprise. The biggest Singapore companies in his early years were government companies building power stations, ports, roads and water supplies. Socialist India did a lousy job in physical and social infrastructure: it focused instead on massive (and woefully inefficient) public sector manufacturing, especially in steel and heavy industry.

Lee’s social infrastructure stretched from universal education and health coverage to massive public housing and old-age security. Lee and Nehru agreed on the importance of social infrastructure, but capitalist Lee did an infinitely better job than socialist Indians. He created a quick, efficient police-judicial system, with an agency that cracked down on corruption. India failed dismally in these areas. Lee kept raising the salaries of top ministers and bureaucrats, making these comparable with private sector salaries. But not India.

After the reforms of 1991, India began moving in Lee’s direction, becoming more outward looking and market friendly. Narendra Modi is an admirer of Lee. But Lee ruled a small island-state with an iron fist, something Modi cannot do in a vast country with an opposition majority in the upper house, powerful state governments, unsackable bureaucracies, and activist courts.

Some of Modi’s maxims — like minimum government, maximum governance — echo Lee’s philosophy. Like Lee, Modi sees public infrastructure as an essential facilitator of private and foreign investment. This explains his plans for high-speed trains, Sagar Mala (garland of ports), massive inland waterways, and giant power plants. But unlike Lee, Modi cannot provide social infrastructure — in India that is the province of state governments.

Where is Modi failing to learn from Lee? First, he is doing nothing to create an efficient police-judicial system. Second, his Make in India scheme has a protectionist touch. Third, he shows no hurry to catch and jail influential people for corruption. Fourth, he has done surprisingly little to improve the ease of doing business. Lee in his grave will frown at such a large unfinished agenda.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 736094.cms
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Singapore leaders and conveyed his condolences while underlining the importance of taking forward the initiatives in India inspired by late Lee Kuan Yew.

Modi, who arrived here this morning to attend the State Funeral Services of Lee who died at the age of 91, met emeritus senior minister Goh Chok Tong and deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Sunday.

"Apart from conveying condolences, they discussed the prospects that in tune with the vision of late Lee India and Singapore can work together further," external affairs ministry spokesman Syen Akbaruddin told reporters.

"Prime Minster Modi said two of his own projects, namely the public housing and Swatch Bharat projects, were inspired by Lee Kuan Yew's own efforts in Singapore," Akbaruddin said, adding that PM wished that India and Singapore can cooperate on these projects.
http://www.sahilonline.org/newsDetails. ... &nid=31800
Modi underlined India's relations with Singapore, saying it "is one of our strongest relationships" in the world.

"India's integration with Southeast Asia and beyond is growing. Singapore is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy," the prime minister said.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://bharatpress.com/2015/03/29/india ... indonesia/
Bali, March 29 (IANS) Inspired by Sahabat India, the continued pageant of India in Indonesia, captains of the Indian tourism business, comprising over 500 members of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), held their annual India Travel Congress 2015 and exposition from March 26-28 within the island of Bali, the tourism gateway of Indonesia.

The Indian Travel Congress, which seeks to present higher impetus to the efforts by the Embassy of India in Jakarta and its consulates in Bali and Medan to join the Indonesian youth with India, was inaugurated on March 26 by Bali province vice governor I Ketut Sudikerta.

He underlined the shut historic and cultural ties between India and Bali and lauded the efforts and the outreach actions of the consulate basic of India in Bali, in reinforcing brotherly ties between Indian and Balinese individuals. Bali is a predominantly Hindu enclave in Muslim-majority Indonesia.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

More on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Malaysia:
GEORGE TOWN, March 29 — A hotel manager received a bomb threat if he allows a meditation guru from India to conduct his programme there.

A police spokesman said the threat was made in a letter sent by express mail addressed to the hotel in Jalan Magazine.

“The sender was angry with the meditation guru claiming he had labelled Muslims in Iran and Iraq as infidels and was involved in wrongful activities.”

The letter received on March 24 was sent from a false address in Kuala Lumpur.

The spokesman said the meditation guru arrived in Penang on March 27 and did not stay or conduct his programme at the hotel.

The meditation guru, 59, only had a one-hour meeting with association members at the hotel yesterday.

“The meditation guru’s programme was held at Batu Kawan Stadium last night attended by meditation gurus from several countries.

“No untoward incidents happened while he was here. He left on a flight for India at 3pm today,” he added.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malay ... Zn6Ex.dpuf
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

More on what India could learn from Singapore:
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/lee-way ... n/16101172
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/busine ... s-andhra-p
Singapore on Monday delivered to Andhra Pradesh phase one of the masterplan for the Indian state's new capital city, marking a big step forward in the project partnership.

The 7,235 sq km capital region plan is the first of a three-stage masterplan designed by Surbana International Consultants and Jurong Consultants, in collaboration with Andhra officials.
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/busine ... 1Hk4x.dpuf
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vij ... 051805.ece
The proposed collaboration between the Thai film industry and members of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) will soon be a reality if their current plans fructify.

Co-production of films by the two sides and hosting of Thailand-South Indian Film Festival in both the countries is being actively explored. A team comprising SIFCC’s executive committee members recently visited Bangkok to hold discussions and take further their plans in this direction. The SIFCC members are reported to have sought a single-window system for film-makers seeking permission to shoot their films in their land to which the Thai officials responded favourably, it is learnt.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malay ... k-paper-sa
KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Malaysia is still better off compared to Thailand, despite a slowing economy amid plunging oil prices, as the country is not ruled by a “repressive” military junta unlike the latter, a columnist for a Hong Kong-based paper wrote today. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malay ... Mt7d1.dpuf
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://customstoday.com.pk/500-containe ... n-vietnam/
HANOI: Nearly 500 containers of Indian groundnut shipments have been stranded at Haiphong port in Vietnam following the detection of groundnut seed beetle (Caryedon serratus) in the consignments. The presence of the beetle has resulted in the Far-East nation issuing a circular on February 6 this year to suspend imports from India. The suspension will come into effect from April 7 if immediate corrective measures are not taken by India. Exporters fear that with another 100-odd containers reaching Vietnam by the end of the month, ₹120 crore worth of groundnut could be held up there.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 794449.cms
BANGKOK: India and Thailand have agreed to bolster their defence and strategic cooperation, maritime security and counter-terrorism, with top Thai leaders strongly supporting the new government's "Act East" policy.

Thailand is very positive about India and the leaders think India is a success story, a big story, Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor(NSA) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said here after calling on the Thai premier Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and meeting other top ministers.

"The overall kinetics was very positive. We discussed a range of issues, including terrorist activities, defence production, keeping the sea lanes safe, piracy, human trafficking and terrorism," Doval, who was on a two-day visit to Thailand, told PTI.

This was the first trip by an Indian NSA to Thailand since Brajesh Mishra came here in 2003.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 788251.cms
BANGKOK: The big topic of conversation in Thailand is martial law. Technically it's gone, but in reality it's still there.

On Wednesday, Thailand's junta lifted martial law, which was imposed in the run-up to their May 22, 2014, coup - but then quickly replaced it with another set of draconian laws innocuously called "Article 44." But make no mistake - 10 months after staging the coup, a military junta is still ruling Thailand, essentially with absolute power.

The move is the junta's latest cosmetic change aimed at putting a softer face on a military-ruled country, according to scholars, jurists and rights groups who called the development a PR stunt and a sleight of hand aimed at helping restore Thailand's image abroad while keeping the junta firmly in control at home. Others wondered half-jokingly if the government of former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha pranked the country with an April Fool's joke.

"Martial law may be lifted, but Thailand remains deeply sunk in unchecked military rule," Verapat Pariyawong, an independent political analyst and Harvard-educated lawyer said in a statement, noting that the announcement came Wednesday in "ironic fashion on April Fool's Day."

Prayuth's government had faced growing pressure from overseas and particularly Thailand's own business community to revoke martial law. Although it wasn't generally visible in everyday life - there were few soldiers in the streets - it was devastating for Thailand's image and its economy. It scared off foreign investors and hurt tourism, which accounts for nearly 10 per cent of the GDP. Tour operators complained that it was a deterrent to tourists - partly because many insurance companies won't cover travelers to countries under martial law.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://tuoitrenews.vn/politics/27252/vi ... ooperation
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and visiting India’s national security adviser Ajit Kumar Doval have showed the determination of both countries to foster their defense and security cooperation.

Vietnam wishes to deepen cooperation with India in all fields on the basis of their special trust, particularly in national defense and security, PM Dung said at his meeting on April 3 with his Indian guest who has been on a visit to Vietnam, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The PM said that the two nations have long-standing friendship relations and that Vietnam always remembers the great support and assistance the Indian people gave to Vietnam during its struggle for independence as well as national reconstruction.

Vietnam always supports India’s “Act East” policy as well as its strengthening of strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, PM Dung said.

While calling on the two countries to promote cooperation in all fields from politics to economics, trade and investment, the PM asked India to step up cooperation with Vietnam in defense and military technology, particularly in personnel training in the air force, navy and intelligence.

The Vietnamese leader also wanted stronger cooperation in cyber security and preventing and combating terrorism and hi-tech crimes.

For his part, Ajit Kumar Doval said India will be always a companion with Vietnam in any circumstances, and emphasized that a stable, developed and prosperous Vietnam is of India’s interest.

The Indian adviser affirmed India would do all it can to assist Vietnam in defense and security, specifically defense industry, military technology, intelligence, personnel training, cybercrimes and cyber security.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/busines ... 57471.html
FROM a business perspective, Southeast Asia has long been an interesting but unsynchronised collection of smaller markets, but that is rapidly changing.
More than 11 years in the making, the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will come into existence on December 31. As Asia rolls into the new year, the dream of a single market and production base encompassing the 10 members of Asean will become a reality, a milestone in a project that looks set to deliver a new round of growth and opportunities for regional and international investors.

An economically unified Asean will represent a market of 640 million people with a combined gross domestic product of US$2.4 trillion; if it were a nation it would already be the world's seventh-largest economy, 25 per cent larger than India. McKinsey and Company forecasts that the number of middle-class households in the region will more than double to 163 million between now and 2030.

The road to the AEC has been long, and the celebrations at the end of this year will not mark the end of the journey. The latest AEC scorecard came out in 2012, and estimated that member nations had achieved 67.5 per cent of their integration targets by that date. Further progress has been made since then, but some of the most thorny issues - including free trade in food products and key service sectors - remain works in progress.

Asean is also spectacularly diverse, making the creation of a one-size-fits-all market even more challenging. GDP per capita in Singapore, Asean's richest member, is more than 20 times that of Myanmar, its poorest; it embraces everything from an absolute monarchy to nations with roots in communism; and it is founded on the principle of non-interference, which means that all members have to agree on measures before they can be implemented.
There are three interlinked priorities: trade connectivity, financial connectivity and physical connectivity.

The group needs to keep up the pressure to dismantle tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, including for services industries. Much of Asia's new growth, particularly in middle-income countries like Thailand and Malaysia, is going to come from the services sector and progress will be both faster and more stable if it can draw on a regional rather than a national talent pool.

This is particularly important when it comes to financial services. Frictionless cross-border banking will facilitate the growth of supply chains, both in terms of geographic breadth and skills depth, and will allow the pooling of assets for vital investments in the next phase of growth.

And that means infrastructure. Without significantly more investment in the physical hardware of connectivity - the roads, railways and ports that make trade possible - and the financial architecture to pay for it, the dream of a self-sustaining Asean economic powerhouse will never be fully realised.

The need for more and better infrastructure is widely recognised, but the region is struggling to find a sustainable way to pay for it. Asia has traditionally relied on bank loans for the bulk of its financing needs, but the scale and duration of the demand for infrastructure investment puts it in a different league.

Asean needs deeper, better connected and more efficient local debt and equity capital markets to transform its savings into investment for its next phase of growth, and it needs a harmonised regulatory system to protect both lenders and borrowers.
pankajs
BRF Oldie
Posts: 14746
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 20:56

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by pankajs »

EconomicTimes ‏@EconomicTimes 21m21 minutes ago

Bolstering #ActEast Policy: India to train Vietnamese intelligence forces http://ow.ly/Letgn
Image
NEW DELHI: Adding teeth to its Act East Policy, India could train intelligence officials from Vietnam besides providing more training slots to the Navy and Air Force personnel from the Southeast Asian country. India may also provide military and defence technology, besides providing support for effectively countering cybercrimes as requested by Vietnam, according to officials privy to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval's discussions with the country's top leadership on Friday last week. Doval met Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, in Hanoi as part of his trip to Bangkok and Hanoi to firm up strategic partnerships.

The request for training of Vietnamese intelligence officials and increasing training slots for its Naval and Air Force personnel came from PM Dung, officials said. The NSA is understood to have expressed India's willingness to assist Vietnam's military and security apparatus. In an indirect reference to China, Doval stated that India was against any unilateral action to change status quo in the seas of the region and called for freedom of navigation, officials said.
...............
India has robust defence ties with Vietnam. Bilateral military cooperation includes sale of military equipment, sharing of intelligence, joint naval exercises and training in counterinsurgency and jungle warfare. When Dung visited India last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in a press statement, "Our defence cooperation with Vietnam is among our most important ones. India remains committed to the modernisation of Vietnam's defence and security forces. This will include expansion of our training programme, which is already very substantial, joint-exercises and cooperation in defence equipment." The PM had added that India would quickly operationalise the $100 million Line of Credit that will enable Vietnam to acquire naval vessels from India.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new ... 34227.aspx
In line with the Narendra Modi government’s thrust to increase cooperation in the South Asian region, the road transport ministry is readying the framework of the proposed multilateral MV agreement that would open the door for seamless transit of passenger and cargo vehicles between the three countries.

On April 18, the transport secretaries of India, Thailand and Myanmar will meet in Chennai to decide the contours of the agreement.
...
...
The proposed MV agreement is similar to the agreement that India plans to sign with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal in June.

“The framework for the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India) corridor has already been finalised. Once the agreement with Myanmar and Thailand is signed it will be integrated with the BBIN corridor,” said an official.

Currently India only has a bilateral motor vehicle agreement with Nepal and Bangladesh but a multilateral pact would go a long way in strengthening trade and tourism in the region.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

India-Indonesia ties:
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/98362 ... -indonesia

It is a long article. Among other things:
Over the past 300 years, on every 1 Jumadilakhir (the 6th month of Arabic calendar), Muslims in Padang held the traditional Serak Gulo cultural show to commemorate the birthday of Indian Islamic scholar (ulema) Souhul Hamid.

Chairman of the Association of Muhammdaan Families in Padang Ali Khan Abu Bakar Alhaj said the tradition is maintained to preserve the Indian culture, which has become a tourism asset in the West Sumatra city.

Serak Gulo is a forum gathering ethnic Indians in Indonesia.

Similarity in culture between the countries has also been promoted with a number of festivals with Indian theme in Indonesia such as Festival Sahabat India (Indian friend festival) in Makassar, held last month.

Indian Consul General for Indonesia Amarjeet Singh Takhi when opening a photography exhibition displaying photos of Islamic monuments in India and Indonesia in Makassar recently said India has rich and varied Islamic inheritance.

The monuments are priceless cultural wealth reflecting the values of Indian culture and arts , culturally binding India and a number of other countries including Indonesia, he said.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by SSridhar »

pankajs wrote:
EconomicTimes ‏@EconomicTimes 21m21 minutes ago
Bolstering #ActEast Policy: India to train Vietnamese intelligence forces http://ow.ly/Letgn
Let me give a comprehensive account of recent developments in India-Vietnam relationship.

On Oct 12, 2011, during his visit to India, the Vietnamese President, Truong Tan Sang, signed six agreements including an agreement to promote oil exploration in South China Sea along with a slew of pacts, including an extradition treaty, to deepen trade, security and strategic ties between the two countries. Indian Prime Minister, Man Mohan Singh said “India and Vietnam are maritime neighbours. We face common security challenges from terrorism, piracy and natural disasters. We believe that it is important to ensure the safety and security of the vital sea lanes of communication. We have agreed to continue and strengthen our exchanges in these fields”. In the field of security cooperation, the two countries instituted a mechanism of a biennial dialogue on security issues between Ministry of Home Affairs and its Vietnamese counterpart. In November 2013, at the end of visiting Vietnam Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s dialogues with Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh, a joint statement was issued which said, “we reaffirmed the importance of defence and security cooperation and agreed to strengthen it further. India will continue to assist Vietnam in modernisation and training of its defence and security forces. Both leaders termed defence cooperation a “significant pillar” of strategic partnership and noted the increased pace of defence dialogue, training and exercises, ship visits, capacity building and exchanges between think tanks. After his September 2014 state visit, the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee said, "India has always stood by and supported the people of Vietnam. We were with them then, we are with them now and we will continue to stand strongly with Vietnam in the future. Vietnam has in India a dependable and trustworthy partner.” A joint communique issued at the end of the visit said that the two sides called for collective commitment of the parties concerned to abide by and implement the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and to work towards the adoption of a Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus. They also said that the freedom of navigation in the East Sea/South China Sea should not be impeded. Without naming any country, they called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid threat or use of force and resolve disputes through peaceful means. In November 2011, the Indian Navy Chief, Adm. Nirmal Verma, said at a seminar on national security that ‘South China Sea was an area of significant concern’ as there was a ‘potential for conflict’ there and ‘institutional arrangements to resolve potential crises’ were inadequate. With over 40% of India’s growing exports to the US and all of India’s trade with Korea and Japan traversing the South China Sea, Indian concerns are very valid.

Since c. 2010, the defence ties between India and Vietnam have been improving. In October 2013, on the eve of the Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to India, the two countries decided to join hands in maintenance and co-production.. India agreed to partner with Vietnam in areas of submarine and fighter aircraft training and transfer of medium-sized warships. During the state visit of India President, Pranab Mukharjee, in September 2014, India offered Vietnam a line of credit of USD 100 million for purchase of defence equipment. It was meant to be used for the purchase of Brah Mos though neither side confirmed it. India is already training the Vietnam Navy personnel in - among other things - operating the Russian-origin Kilo-class submarine. So far it has trained over 500 personnel of the Vietnamese Navy. But Hanoi wants more. By March 2015, Vietnam had received three Varshavyanka-class (improved Kilo) submarines and three more were on order by Vietnam. India and Vietnam could arrive at an agreement to launch Vietnam's satellites into space. India is also keen on establishing a satellite tracking, data reception and processing centre in Ho Chi Minh city.Vietnam has also indicated a desire to purchase four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) from Indian yards to police the South China Sea. After meeting the visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, on October 28, 2014, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,” Our defence cooperation with Vietnam is among our most important ones. India remains committed to the modernization of Vietnam's defence and security forces. This will include expansion of our training programme, which is already very substantial, joint-exercises and cooperation in defence equipment. We will quickly operationalise the $100 million line of credit that will enable Vietnam acquire new naval vessels from India.” The Vietnamese Prime Minister, Mr. Nguyen said Vietnam “highly appreciated India’s position regarding the East Sea [South China Sea] issue and India’s continued cooperation with Vietnam in oil and gas exploration.” In January 2015, the two countries upgraded their strategic defence dialogue from the secretaries level to that of the level of Defence Ministers. The two defence ministers, Phung Quang Thanh of Vietnam and Manohar Parrikar of India, chaired the first such dialogue in new Delhi in January 2015. By all accounts the sale of BrahMos to Vietnam was also through including the approval of the joint partner, Russia. India wanted to enter the MTCR before signing the deal. The Indian Army Chief, Gen. Dalbir Suhag, visited Vietnam in December 2014 to strengthen the army-to-army relationship between the two countries.

China has in July, 2011 expressed serious displeasure about India's growing ties with Vietnam. On August 18, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua analyzed the India-Vietnam relationship, saying it would create "challenges" for China. It highlighted the Indian Navy's goodwill visit to Vietnam, saying, "It is a clear indication that Vietnam is attempting to include a third country in the South Sea dispute."
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/media-cent ... th--t.html

Former Indian ambassadors to Thailand meet Pres/Dy.PM
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/media-cent ... -H.E..html

Medvedev on official visit to Thailand
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://business.asiaone.com/property/ne ... ar-myanmar
SINGAPORE'S investments in Myanmar are soaring, with the amount pumped in by organisations rising 41.5 per cent from 2012 to hit $311.4 million in 2013.

Spending has been particularly strong in the areas of urban development, connectivity and finance, said Ms Lai Shu Ying, the South-east Asia director of trade agency International Enterprise (IE) Singapore.

She attributes this to Myanmar's abundant natural and human resources and its strategic location at the crossroads of India, China and South-east Asia.

The level of investment is striking, given that it has been only three years since Myanmar's economic liberalisation.

And there is more to come, with one in four Asian enterprises planning to expand into Myanmar this year, according to a survey by the United Overseas Bank last year. Singapore was Myanmar's third-largest trading partner in 2013, while bilateral trade was valued at $3.23 billion last year.
- See more at: http://business.asiaone.com/property/ne ... 87nmf.dpuf
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://www.vir.com.vn/india-not-to-impo ... steel.html
the Vietnam Competition Authority (VCA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) reported India decided to stop the investigation carried out from since September, 2014 and not to impose safeguard measures against the products imported from these above-mentioned countries.

The reason for its decision is due to India’s failure to find enough persuasive evidence for applying safeguard measures, including those related to increasing imported products from investigated firms, heavy losses or threats to causing serious losses for the domestic production sector.

M/S Jindal Stainless Steel Company, an Indian steel producer - accounts for more than 85% of total cold rolled flat products of stainless steel production volume - filed the lawsuit.
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://www.vir.com.vn/us-dollar-prices- ... arket.html

Dollar prices keep rising in Vietnam.
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://www.cntraveller.in/news/india-la ... bullet-500

India to Laos on a Royal Enfield 500.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 904307.cms
HAT YAI, Thailand: Police suspect Muslim separatists were behind six killings in Thailand's far south that have come as the country celebrates its traditional New Year.

Two farmers were shot dead on their rubber plantation in Yala province on Monday, while four people in two neighboring houses were fatally shot Sunday night in Narathiwat province.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces since an Islamic separatist insurgency erupted in 2004.

Police are still investigating the latest attacks, but believe they were carried out by Muslim insurgents because intelligence indicated that there would be attacks on Buddhists during the New Year festival, known as Songkran.

Thailand's three southernmost provinces are the only ones with Muslim majorities in the predominantly Buddhist country.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... indonesia/
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday embarked on a five-day visit to Indonesia to attend the 60th commemoration of the historical 1955 Asian-African Conference, which became the stepping stone for setting up the Non-Aligned Movement during cold war-era.

She will also attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership.

Swaraj is accompanied by senior diplomats from the Ministry for the conference where important discussions will take place in Jakarta and Bandung.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/cambodia ... tting-tpp/

A spirited attack (and defense) of US policy:
On April 19, the 24th World Economic Forum on East Asia kicked off in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. One of the main events was a conversation on “East Asia in the New Global Context,” which featured two heads of state – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen and Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Jokowi’s keynote address stole the show as he delivered a vigorous defense of the case for reform in Indonesia, which has seen its fair share of challenges under his presidency thus far. But Hun Sen’s remarks before that were notable too.

When Hun Sen began his speech, there was little about it that suggested that a sudden tirade was on the way. He began by politely thanking Indonesia for hosting the forum and then delved into a brief and rather predictable list on what regional priorities should be, including ensuring regional cooperation and inclusive economic growth.

His third point was about regional integration, and it started with him lavishing praise on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – a regional free trade area including the ten ASEAN countries and those nations with existing fee trade agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. He did not fail to point out that RCEP, which would account for about half of the world’s population and 30 percent of global GDP, was initially signed in Cambodia in 2012. RCEP, he said, would provide “greater investment opportunities” and “promote more economic and trade activities.”

But he then departed from his prepared remarks for a brief tirade on the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership, which groups 12 countries, four of whom are ASEAN members (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam). He stressed that TPP and RCEP should not contradict each other, but should be complementary. He then went on to blame the TPP for leaving half (or, more accurately, six out of ten) ASEAN countries outside of it.

“We should review again…why Trans-Pacific Partnership did not include ten ASEAN members,” Hun Sen said. “What is the purpose, real intention of establishing [the] Trans-Pacific Partnership…that they include half of ASEAN to be partners…and leaving half of ASEAN outside. That’s a point I would like the World Economic Forum on Asia-Pacific to provide consideration and debate,” Hun Sen said.

Hun Sen’s tirade is quite puzzling and misleading – though he is hardly the only one with such a view. Firstly, it is not very useful to compare RCEP and TPP: the former essentially is an exercise in harmonizing and integrating existing FTAs between ASEAN and its individual partners, while the latter is an attempt by the United States and others to create a new, more ambitious 21st century trade agreement with much higher standards.

Second, TPP did not intentionally exclude specific countries as is sometimes mistakenly suggested – be it other ASEAN member states or China. Rather, these countries were not able to meet the high standards of the agreement currently, and so they could not be included at this time. As U.S. officials have repeatedly said, other nations are welcome to join the TPP once they are ready to do so – which is part of Washington’s attempt to shape the rules in the region in a way that encourages a race to the top rather than to the bottom. It should be noted that other ASEAN countries, and even China, have at least studied the steps that need to be taken should they eventually decide to join TPP even if they cannot do so now.

Third and finally, the complaint that the United States is somehow ‘splitting ASEAN’ is a bit of a broken record by now and is rather outdated. While the concern initially emerged during the early stages of the TPP under the Obama administration, Washington has subsequently spent significant time trying to ensure that it economically engages the rest of ASEAN to respond to this concern. The U.S.-ASEAN Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) Initiative, rolled out in 2013, is an example of an effort in this direction. These initiatives do have their limitations, but the point here is that it is incorrect to suggest that Washington is somehow out to split ASEAN by advancing the TPP as Hun Sen did.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 091_1.html
Soon Indian chartered accountants and nurses will get easy access to work in Singapore as the two countries are finalising mutual recognition agreements.

Mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) pave the way for recognition of professional body of one country by the other. Regulatory bodies of various professional services like engineering, accountancy and architecture are encouraged to enter into these pacts.

"We already have Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) going on for Singapore. In nursing we have finished MRAs. The other MRAs on chartered accountancies are under negotiations," Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher told reporters here.

With these agreements, chartered accountants and nurses of Singapore too would find it easy to work in India.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

The unsecular President of Mauritius also doesn't agree with Wendy Donigers or Indian leftists:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 007540.cms
JALANDHAR: Notwithstanding the ongoing debate in India about inclusion of religious texts in school curriculum, Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag advised the Indian students on Tuesday to follow values and teachings of Indian sages and epics Ramayana and Mahabharata in their lives to become better human beings.

Addressing students during the second day of convocation of Lovely Professional University, Purryag told them by doing so they would become better human beings. "Don't become Rama but take 20% of his life and aap aadmi se insaan ban jaaoge (you will become humans from persons)," he said. He said while universities in UK were focussing more on academics, he noticed that Indian institutions were also stressing on inculcating value system.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015 ... asean.html
India on Thursday opened its diplomatic mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, which is aimed at reorienting its partnership with the region to make it more pragmatic and action-based.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, along with ASEAN secretary-general Le Luong Minh and the Foreign Ministry’s director general for ASEAN affairs, I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, attended the inauguration, during which they highlighted the importance and vitality of India’s partnership with the region.

“ASEAN lies in the core of India’s foreign policy. We aim to play a more proactive role in the region, strengthening collaboration on trade, investment, security and connectivity,” Sushma said at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Le Luong Minh added that since 1992, India has forged one of the most dynamic and strongest relationships with ASEAN, in both sociocultural and economic terms, and praised the continual efforts to maintain that relationship.

“Setting up this mission is a symbol for the firmer commitment in strengthening our partnerships,” Le said.

Adding to that, Agung Wesaka Puja commented that while the relationship between ASEAN and India had been strengthening significantly in the past few years, much more still needed to be explored, as great potential remained.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015 ... kYcaT.dpuf
Tuvaluan
BRFite
Posts: 1816
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Tuvaluan »

http://article.wn.com/view/2015/04/21/C ... Indonesia/

Chinese private companies to invest 5B$ in Indonesia. (Xinhua/ChinaDaily)
As part of the investment, CMI will guide dozens of Chinese private enterprises to construct a CMI Indonesia industrial parks.

The park will bring in a wide array of industries and sectors to the Indonesian market including coal, chemical, electrolytic aluminium, iron and steel, power plant, cement, infrastructure, port, Internet and helicopter production and operation.

The cooperation model of this project will bring advanced production technology, managerial know-how, capital and talent to Indonesia, helping boost the economic development through more jobs and considerable tax revenues for the Indonesian market.

"Chinese private companies partnering with CMI enjoy strong comparative advantages from Indonesia in terms of technology, management and technique," Li said.

"While Indonesia continues to produce more demand and projects as part of their strategy for infrastructure improvement, this is an opportunity for Chinese companies to comprehensively test their technological and managerial capabilities in another market."
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/poor- ... oy/869594/
India’s northeast is considered the gateway to Southeast Asia and crucial for its Act East Policy, but Vietnam’s envoy here says that poor road and air connectivity are a hindrance to developing tourism and other economic linkages with it.

“There is need for the Vietnam tourism industry to earn revenue. But there is no point in the Southeast Asian nations to endorse tourism in India’s northeast, as the people and the region are similar to ours,” Vietnam’s Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh told IANS:

Thanh also said the poor road and air connectivity in the northeast – both within the region and to the outside world – “makes it difficult for outsiders to reach the interior areas, which is a major hurdle”.

According to Thanh, even in terms of trade Vietnam “has not benefited much” from the northeast region in comparison to other parts of India and economically the northeastern region of India has “nothing much to offer”.
A_Gupta
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12074
Joined: 23 Oct 2001 11:31
Contact:

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by A_Gupta »

http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesund ... 782993.ece
NEW DELHI: It would be yet another announcement made by the UPA government, which would finally see the light of day under the NDA administration.

Work is finally expected to start soon on the execution of a massive stone portal after Indian and Malaysian authorities negotiated for four years on its design, adhering to “local sensitivities”. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a tender for the stone work for “Torana Gate”—four years and five months after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s announcement of India’s gift.

The original design based on the 1st century BCE Sanchi Stupa gateways had a profusion of human figures, showing wealthy merchants, royal processions and foreigners. But, for an Islamic country, they were, of course, a strict no-no. “There are no human figures on the gate,” said a senior official.

Instead, many of the friezes have a profusion of joyous elephants, a recurring theme in Buddhist iconography. In fact, there was such close collaboration between Indian and Malaysian governments that the position of elephants was also a matter of discussion.

There was also some talk from the Malaysian side about putting the national emblems on the gate itself, but they finally agreed that it would detract from the aesthetic integrity of the design. “Instead, during the inauguration, a separate plaque will be inaugurated,” said the official.

All these discussions, coupled with the normal inertia of two bureaucracies, stretched into months and then years.
Bharath.Subramanyam
BRFite
Posts: 132
Joined: 28 Jul 2009 00:17

Re: India and ASEAN / East Asia

Post by Bharath.Subramanyam »

Very illuminating interview of LKY (Lee Kuan Yew) from 1994 to the Foreign Affairs Magazine.

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... e-kuan-yew

See how he is able to distinguish 'Framework of Righteousness' (ethics & morals) from just tactics (liberty, freedom, capitalism, democracy etc). See the clear thinking he had from the very beginning. Compare this to the confusion on 'Idea of India' starting from INC (Nehru, Gandhi etc). If Indian leaders could have understood 'Dharma', at least they would have focused on economic prosperity from 1950's, instead of borrowing socialism & crony capitalism.
Post Reply