Latest news with #AssociationofSouth-EastAsianNations
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Brunei sultan discharged from KL hospital
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been discharged from hospital and will remain in the Malaysian capital for a few more days to rest, his office said on Saturday. Sultan Hassanal was admitted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday due to fatigue, though his office had insisted the world's longest-serving monarch was in "good health". "His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah ... praise be to God, is back at the Grand Hyatt Hotel after resting a few days at the National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur," his office said in an Instagram post on Saturday. "Medical experts have advised His Majesty to continue resting for a few more days before departing back to Brunei," it added. The 78-year-old sultan was in Kuala Lumpur for a summit with other Association of South-East Asian Nations leaders. A statement from the Brunei prime minister's office -- a position held by the sultan -- on Tuesday said the monarch had been feeling tired and that Malaysian health experts had advised him to rest for a few days at the National Heart Institute. Sultan Hassanal ascended the throne in 1967. He is one of the richest people on the planet, and comes from a family that has ruled Brunei, a small Muslim nation perched on the north of the tropical island of Borneo, for more than 600 years. His decades ruling Brunei have seen the country gain full independence from Britain and living standards soar to among the highest globally. But his reign has also been marked by controversies including the introduction of tough Islamic laws legislating penalties such as severing of limbs and death by stoning. - AFP
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
The Philippines committee to back Timor-Leste's Asean bid, says Foreign Affairs Secretary
MANILA, May 25 (Bernama-PNA): The Philippines will continue supporting Timor-Leste's membership bid to become a regular member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), incoming Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro reaffirmed on Saturday. According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Lazaro, currently the Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and Asean Affairs, represented Manila in the Asean Senior Officials' Meeting on May 24 in preparation for the 46th Asean Summit and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "We discussed the importance of strengthening Asean centrality while expanding strategic partnerships,' she said on X. "We also committed to supporting Timor-Leste's accession process and contributing to the Asean Community Vision 2045 implementation.' The bloc had granted the young nation observer status and allowed its participation in all of its meetings, including summit plenaries. In a November 2022 statement, the Asean leaders agreed "in principle to admit Timor-Leste to be the 11th member' of the bloc. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said Timor-Leste's accession to the bloc is on the agenda in the coming Asean meetings. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will attend the 46th Asean Summit and Related Meetings in Malaysia on May 26 and 27. Current Asean members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -- Bernama-PNA
The Star
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Asean-GCC-China cooperation a new "golden triangle" in global affairs
A remarkable mechanism of multilateral cooperation is emerging as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are to hold an inaugural joint summit. The three parties now have more incentive than ever to coordinate in the current geopolitical climate, as some major countries are pursuing confrontation and protectionism, making the list of divergent interests only growing longer. CHINA AS AN ANCHOR FOR ASEAN-GCC China has already had a transformative impact on ASEAN and the broader Middle East economically, including the GCC states, through major infrastructure, trade and development efforts -- particularly the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. But the relationship runs deeper, with growing cooperation in technology, industrial development, tourism, cultural exchange and longstanding people-to-people ties. Malaysia, which assumed ASEAN's rotating chairmanship in 2025, has counted China as its largest trading partner since 2009 and has consistently advocated for deeper regional integration. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has also been an active and outspoken voice on Middle East affairs, positioning Malaysia as a fitting host for the upcoming tripartite summit. Like many ASEAN nations, Malaysia has sought to steer clear of global trade tensions, upholding a policy of free and open trade while broadening its international partnerships, including joining the BRICS group in 2024. The move underscores a push to deepen ties and trade with China, as it faces tariffs and other forms of pressure from the United States. Meanwhile, China's diplomatic and stabilizing role on crucial issues has also boosted its standing in the region. Its calls for a peaceful and just resolution to the Palestinian conflict resonate with many in ASEAN, while its success in bringing together key Middle East powers, especially Iran and Saudi Arabia, has further elevated its profile and generated goodwill across the region. BUILDING RESILIENT ECONOMIC TIES The convergence of major energy exporters in the GCC, ASEAN's large consumer base, and China's massive market of over 1.4 billion people promises significant benefits for all parties. Together, they hold enough resources within their borders to sustain trade to weather potential restrictions or disruptions. Despite efforts to draw ASEAN and the GCC members into bloc confrontation, the West is unable to pressure these countries as it previously could with its military and economic power, signalling a steady erosion of the leverage it once had. Amid ongoing conflicts and shifting economic realities, countries are increasingly prioritizing partnerships that best serve their development goals, rather than accepting policies that hinder their progress. Bringing together all three parties creates a new platform for cooperation. Barring interference from outside parties, this emerging "Golden Triangle" of resources, manufacturing, and consumers is poised to drive the global economy forward. It could also accelerate the spread of cutting-edge technologies pioneered by China -- particularly in renewable energy vehicles and artificial intelligence tools like DeepSeek, which is developed at a fraction of the cost of Western counterparts. BURYING THE UNIPOLAR ORDER As major European economies are close to recession and de-industrialization, and the United States itself has lost its edge in shipbuilding tonnage and continues to lapse in other sectors, China continues to move forward as it is able to recognize this simple fact that ASEAN, the GCC and other regional groupings across Africa and Latin America are looking forward to a new era of peace and stable international relations. While these aspirations might or might not result in a tight integration of ASEAN-GCC-China in foreseeable future, the alternative -- watching other nations drift toward harmful, fragmented policies -- is a far bleaker scenario than the promise of renewed global cooperation and shared prosperity. Editor's note: Julia Roknifard is a senior lecturer at the School of Law and Governance at Taylor's University. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.
The Star
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
South Korean vice foreign minister to visit Indonesia on Tuesday (May 13) to discuss bilateral co-operation
South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun. SEOUL (Yonhap): South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will travel to Indonesia this week for talks with his Indonesian counterpart on bilateral co-operation, the foreign ministry said on Monday, Yonhap News Agency reported. Kim will depart for Jakarta on Tuesday for the two-day trip, during which he plans to address key bilateral co-operation issues through high-level diplomacy, including talks with an Indonesian vice minister, the ministry said. The trip is part of South Korea's efforts to strengthen ties with individual member states of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), following the establishment of a "comprehensive strategic partnership" with the regional bloc late last year. Around 2,000 South Korean companies operate business entities in Indonesia, a leading ASEAN member and key economic partner of Seoul. - Bernama-Yonhap
The Star
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Asian finance chiefs call for regional unity amid tariff talks
Image from South China Morning Post HANOI/TOKYO/JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Asian finance ministers and central bankers called for unity and reaffirmed their commitment to fair and free trade amid rising protectionism that they said weighs on the global economy. "We call for enhanced regional unity and cooperation as we endeavor to weather the heightened uncertainty,' officials from Japan, China, South Korea and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) said in a statement on Sunday in Milan, on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank. "Amid rising uncertainties and long-term structural shifts, we reaffirm our full commitment to multilateralism, and a rules-based, non-discriminatory, free, fair, open, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core,' they said. The meeting comes as Donald Trump's tariff salvos shake global markets and begin to weigh on global commerce. As officials negotiate how they can avoid or at least lessen so-called "reciprocal tariffs,' the US president says some trade deals could come as soon as this week. The region's officials aim to rebuild fiscal policy buffers, recalibrate monetary policy based on domestic conditions and retain exchange-rate flexibility as a buffer against external shocks, according to the statement. They also said they support the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a trade framework among Asia-Pacific countries. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
