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The Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Vietnam singer Phuong My Chi grabs third spot Sing!Asia contest
Phương My Chi of Viietnam left a strong impression on the judges in the Sing!Asia 2025. - Vietnam News/ANN HANOI: Phuong My Chi of Vietnam finished third in the Sing!Asia a Chinese sensational music show that includes a large line-up of artistes from various Asian countries on July 27. In the finale, Phuong My Chi was against two outstanding singers of the hosts and one from Japan in three knockout rounds. In the first round, the contestants were paired up to perform duets with guest artists. This was a challenge of their ability to collaborate on stage. After this round, one contestant was eliminated. The remaining three then competed head-to-head to select the two most outstanding faces for the final round. Contestants must maintain their form, demonstrate a variety of performance skills, and continuously adapt to the demands of each round – from song selection, stage presence, to the ability to connect with an international audience in a short preparation time. Thanks to the strategic support from DTAP crew and the harmonious combination of Phuong My Chi and her guest singer Huang Ling, their emotional performance singing Vietnamese song Lac Troi (Flow) completely convinced the experts and earned highest score of 202.8 points. Phuong My Chi, who captivated audiences with her powerful vocals and soulful sounds, was the leading contestant in the first round. In the second round, Phuong My Chi sang Mot Bo Dua (Chopsticks) – a performance accompanied by 30 children in Asian traditional costumes – strongly reflected the spirit of regional connection. Inspired by the story of a bundle of chopsticks in Vietnamese culture, DTAP and Phuong My Chi converted it into a message of solidarity, friendship and the power of connection between Asian countries. The performance used five languages – Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and English – as a way to express diversity and cultural exchange. Judges praised Chi's impressive development throughout the competition – from the early stages to the finale – highlighting her commanding stage presence and noting that she embodies all the traits of a future star. Phuong My Chi added 204 points to make a total of 406.8 points and was placed third. Miyuna of Japan was successfully crowned the winner. 'Asia is no longer something far far away, in books or on TV, but close around me in this competition," said Chi. "I feel the Asian spirit from the smallest things, the way the contestants tell stories and behave to the unique cultural aspects of each country. "I see Asia through really cute, profound and inspiring friends. Thanks to this Sing!Asia experience, I have had many beautiful memories and messages, and I also appreciate the programme crew who treated me sincerely," she said. The large-scale music competition was organised by the iQIYI platform featuring nine Asian countries and territories. Taking place over 30 days, all contestants began their journey on board of a five-star cruise ship, traveling through destinations in Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, before entering the semifinal round in Shanghai and the grand finale in Macao. - Vietnam News/ANN
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
There's more to the anti-Trump Russiagate plot — and Tulsi Gabbard will unravel it
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard just released a trove of apparently once-classified documents — with promises of much more to follow. The new material describes the role of the Obama administration's intelligence and investigatory directors — purportedly along with former President Barack Obama himself — in undermining the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. In addition, their efforts extended to sabotaging the 2016-2017 presidential transition and, by extension, the first three years of the Trump presidency. Advertisement The released documents add some new details to what over the last decade has become accepted knowledge. Congressional committees, special prosecutors and the inspectors general had all previously issued reports that largely confirmed the general outlines of the skullduggery that began in 2015-16. Hillary Clinton's campaign, later aided by the top echelon of the FBI, CIA and the director of national intelligence, sought — falsely — to seed a narrative that Trump had colluded directly with Russia to win unfairly the 2016 election. Advertisement When that campaign gambit failed to alter the 2016 results, the Obama administration doubled down during the transition to undermine the incoming Trump presidency. Next, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'all-star' legal team found no evidence of direct Trump-Putin collusion to hijack the election. But his investigation did sabotage 22 months of Trump's first term, marked by constant leaks and hysterical rumors that Trump was soon to be convicted and jailed as a 'Russian asset.' By 2020, the frustrated intelligence agencies and former 'authorities' now absurdly further lied that Hunter Biden's incriminating laptop had 'all the earmarks' — once again — of Russian interference. Advertisement So, what could be new about Gabbard's latest release? One, after the 2016 election of Donald Trump but before his inauguration, Obama convened a strange meeting with his outgoing intelligence and investigatory heads — CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and a few others. Contrary to a four-year Democratic Party narrative that '18 intelligence agencies' had long claimed Russian collusion, the top directors apprised Obama that their expert colleagues had found no such evidence. Yet outgoing President Obama allegedly directed them to ignore such an assessment. Advertisement Instead, they began spreading narratives that President-elect Trump had been colluding with the Russians. Leaks followed. Media hysteria crested. And soon Mueller and his left-wing 'dream team' of lawyers targeted President Trump. Further new information may confirm that Brennan's CIA — and those he briefed in the Oval Office — had known for some time that the Russians themselves were confused about why they were falsely being accused of colluding with Trump to rig the election. Of course, Russian operatives, like their Chinese counterparts, often seek to cause havoc in American institutions, such as hacking emails or spreading online disinformation. But they may have been nevertheless curious why Hillary Clinton was making such false accusations that they were working directly with Trump, and why the Obama administration was acting upon them. Obama has now claimed these new charges are outrageous and beneath the dignity of the presidency. He did not, however, flatly contradict the new information. He should have issued an unambiguous denial that he had never ordered his intelligence chiefs in December 2016 to ignore their associates' assessments and instead to assume Trump's collusion with Putin. Advertisement These sustained efforts of the Clinton campaign, Obama appointees, and ex-intelligence chiefs and their media counterparts between 2015 and 2020 severely undermined the 2016 Trump campaign. They bushwhacked the 2017 presidential transition. They hamstrung the Trump presidency. And they may well have hurt Trump's 2020 election bid. Summed up, here is the damage caused by the Trump-Putin collusion lies: Advertisement They emboldened 'experts' in 2020 to again lie blatantly and shamelessly to the American people that the incriminating Hunter Biden laptop was yet another fake product of Russian interference to help reelect Trump. The media were equally guilty. Journalists partnered with current and ex-Obama appointees by disseminating fake documents like the Steele dossier and working with giants like Twitter and Facebook. During the 2020 campaign, the FBI and social media sought to censor accurate news stories that the laptop was indeed authentic and already verified as such by the FBI. These operations may have had serious consequences for US foreign policy. Dictatorial Russia is a US adversary. By needlessly and falsely claiming that Russia had intervened in two elections directly to partner with Trump, Obama-era officials and Clinton-campaign activists destroyed Trump's own credibility to sustain a workable relationship with a nuclear Russia. In addition, the lying and extra-legal operations of the FBI and CIA only further convinced the paranoid Russians that they could not trust the US government — given it had been engaging in the very conspiracy lies that were more akin to its own than America's. Advertisement Obama, Brennan, Clapper, Comey and others will likely never face legal consequences for the damage they've done to our institutions and foreign policy. But that does not mean they should be exempt from an ongoing and disinterested effort to find and finally expose the whole truth. Victor Davis Hanson is a distinguished fellow of the Center for American Greatness.
16-07-2025
- Business
Faced with geopolitics and trade war, US companies in China report record-low new investment plans
WASHINGTON -- American companies in China are reporting record-low new investment plans for this year and declining confidence in profits, while uncertainty in U.S.-China relations and President Donald Trump's tariffs have become their top concerns, according to a business survey released Wednesday. The companies are also challenged by China's slowing economy, where weak domestic demand and overcapacity in local industries are eroding profitability for the Americans. 'Businesses in China are less profitable now than they were years ago, but risks, including reputational risk, regulatory risk, and political risk, are increasing,' said Sean Stein, the president of the U.S.-China Business Council, a Washington-based group that represents American companies doing business in China, including major multinationals. The survey, conducted between March and May and drawing from 130 member companies, came after the two countries clashed over tariffs and nontariff measures, including export controls on critical products such as rare-earth magnets and advanced computer chips. Following high-level talks in Geneva and London, U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to pull back from sky-high tariffs and restrictions on exports, but uncertainty persists as the two sides are yet to hammer out a more permanent trade deal. Kyle Sullivan, vice president of business advisory services at the USCBC, said more than half of the companies in the survey indicated they do not have new investment plans in China 'at all' this year. "That's a record high,' Sullivan said, noting that it is 'a new development that we have not observed in previous surveys.' Around 40% of companies reported negative effects from U.S. export control measures, with many experiencing lost sales, severed customer relationships, and reputational damage from being unreliable suppliers, according to the survey. Citing national security, the U.S. government has banned exports to China of high-tech products, such as the most advanced chips, which could help boost China's military capabilities. Stein argued that export controls must be very carefully targeted, because businesses from Europe or Japan, or local businesses in China would immediately fill the void left by American companies. Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia won approval from the Trump administration to resume sales to China of its advanced H20 chips used to develop artificial intelligence, its CEO Jensen Huang announced on Monday, though the company's most powerful chips remain under U.S. export control rules. While 82% of U.S. companies reported profits in 2024, fewer than half are optimistic about the future in China, reflecting concerns over tariffs, deflation, and policy uncertainty, according to the survey. Also, a record high number of American businesses plan to relocate their business operations outside of China, Sullivan said, as 27% of the members indicated so, up from 19% the year before. In a departure from past surveys, concerns over China's regulatory environment, including risks of intellectual property misuse and lack of market access, didn't make it to the top five concerns this year. That's likely a first, and not for a good reason, Stein said. 'It is not because things got dramatically better on the Chinese side, but the new challenges, often coming from the U.S., are now posing as much of a challenge,' Stein said. Almost all the American companies said they cannot remain globally competitive without their Chinese operations. A survey from the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China in May found that European companies were cutting costs and scaling back investment plans in China as its economy slows and fierce competition drives down prices.
Bangkok Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Economic headwinds dampen outlook
Thailand's economic outlook is worsening amid rising pressure from steep new US tariffs, with business leaders warning that the country risks losing its competitive edge unless urgent policy action is taken. Hasadin Suwatanapongched, deputy secretary-general and honorary chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, expressed concern over the US imposing tariffs of up to 36% on Thai goods, significantly higher than those applied to regional rivals. "Vietnam faces a 20% tariff, Malaysia and Japan 25%, Indonesia 32%, and South Korea 25%. Even neighbouring Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia have secured tariff reductions," he said. "Why is Thailand still stuck at 36% after negotiations? This is a clear failure." Mr Hasadin blamed political instability for hampering the Thai negotiating team's ability to safeguard national interests. He warned that tariff disparities of up to 16 percentage points compared with Vietnam would discourage foreign investment. "If investors must choose, they will go to Vietnam or Malaysia. Major companies may relocate from Thailand. Japanese firms here may reconsider their presence," he said. Critical export sectors -- including electronics, automotive tyres, and animal feed -- are expected to suffer the most. "We cannot compete when facing 10–15% higher tariffs with the same production costs," Mr Hasadin stressed. Waning investor confidence could also impact the stock market and the broader economy. Balanced Tariffs Assoc Prof Juthathip Jongwanich of Thammasat University's Centre for Competitiveness and Development Studies (ICDS) cautioned against eliminating all import tariffs in response to US hikes, as Vietnam has done. Instead, she proposed maintaining duties within a 25–28% range to remain competitive with Vietnam and Malaysia, describing this as a balanced and sustainable approach. Her assessment, based on trade data and US policy uncertainty, noted that Washington's new tariff regime takes effect on Aug 1, leaving room for negotiation. Should US tariffs stay above 28%, Thailand may need to broaden its offer -- but not by removing all tariffs. She added that Vietnam has greater experience managing free trade frameworks, especially with the EU, whereas Thailand still enforces strict tariffs and non-tariff barriers, particularly in the agriculture sector. Deep tariff cuts could harm Thai farmers and businesses unable to adjust. She recommended boosting Thai imports of US products like defence equipment, aircraft, and natural gas as alternative bargaining chips. She also urged the government to prepare financial support for affected sectors and diversify export markets to reduce US reliance. Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Archanun Kohpaiboon of ICDS said the tariff challenge offers an opportunity to address structural issues such as foreign nominee shareholders, a breach of the Foreign Business Act. He called for reviewing outdated regulations that may discourage legitimate foreign investment and questioned the benefits of recent Chinese investments. With Thailand facing an ageing population and labour shortages, he suggested revising restrictions in certain sectors to allow greater foreign participation, while ensuring safeguards and job creation. Trade Sentiment Slips The business sector's concerns were reflected in a mid-June survey by the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, according to its president, Narongsak Putthapornmongkol. Among 480 business leaders surveyed, 39% said the tariff measures were more damaging to trade than the Covid-19 pandemic, while 26% deemed the impact significantly worse. The survey revealed 45% had already witnessed a serious trade slowdown due to tariffs, 36% reported minor impacts, and only 8% saw improvements. Uncertainty surrounds the 90-day US negotiation window that ended on Wednesday. Only 15% of respondents believed a final deal was reached with China, while 14% expected protracted talks with most countries. On July 3, the US struck a final deal with Vietnam, imposing a 20% tariff in exchange for Vietnam not taxing US imports. Thai businesses proposed three key measures to improve negotiations: reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, allowing US agricultural imports such as soybeans and maize, and introducing legal safeguards against re-export fraud. Additional recommendations included boosting imports of energy and aviation products. The survey identified vulnerable sectors including automotive, food and seafood, tourism, electronics, steel, and energy, he said. Concerns also centred on a 32.7% drop in Chinese tourists in the first five months of 2025, with over half expecting numbers to remain low for the year. The influx of redirected Chinese goods intensifies local competition, and Thailand risks becoming a target if used as a manufacturing base for Chinese exports to the US. GDP growth forecasts are muted, with 78.5% expecting growth below 1.8% in 2025. Respondents urged the government to launch tourism stimulus packages, explore new export markets, conclude US trade talks, and implement financial relief. Despite challenges, Thai–Chinese trade grew 18.69% year-on-year in early 2025, though Thailand ran a trade deficit of 799 billion baht. Asst Prof Wiwat Chankingthong of Hatyai University presented findings from the June 2025 Southern Thailand Confidence Index, underscoring challenges in tourism and exports. He attributed export declines to weakening demand from China, the US, and Europe, alongside stiff competition from lower-cost producers like Vietnam, Indonesia, and India -- countries that benefit from more robust state support compared to Thailand's limited, reactive assistance. The tourism sector has also suffered, with fewer visitors from China, Europe, and Asean amid rising safety concerns, including scams and fraud targeting tourists, he said. Asst Prof Wiwat noted the country's economy has deteriorated since mid-2024, with declining investment and purchasing power, and a sharp drop since April 21, 2025. Both public and academic sectors agree on appointing a new finance minister -- knowledgeable and untainted by political or business interests -- to address the crisis, he said. He stressed broad economic transformation, focusing on agriculture, Thailand's economic backbone. Collaboration between farmers and the government is needed to modernise agriculture through processing that preserves yields, adds value, and stabilises prices. Citing durian oversupply as an example, he emphasised that strengthening the grassroots economy is essential for national recovery and equitable income distribution. "The agricultural sector is the backbone of the country," Asst Prof Wiwat said. "Revitalising the grassroots economy through modernisation, value addition, and price stability is essential not only for rural livelihoods but for the broader national recovery." With global uncertainties persisting, the consensus is clear: Thailand's future competitiveness hinges on visionary leadership that can navigate trade negotiations effectively, implement strategic reforms, and restore investor and consumer confidence. Without urgent and coordinated government intervention, the risk of economic stagnation and lost opportunities will deepen, he noted.
The Star
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
US tariffs pose danger to Asean countries
The United States has announced new tariffs for over half of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China's largest trading partners, which analysts said is a calculated escalation of Washington's efforts to reconfigure global supply chains away from Beijing. The prospect of higher US tariffs could translate into higher prices for US consumers already grappling with persistent inflation and would undermine the stability of global supply chains, they added. US President Donald Trump on Monday set out plans for a 40 percent tariff on goods from Myanmar and Laos, a 36 percent tariff on goods from Thailand and Cambodia, a 32 percent tariff on Indonesia, and a 25 percent tariff on goods from Malaysia. "These tariffs appear designed to make it economically disadvantageous for these Southeast Asian countries to maintain deep supply chain links with China, forcing a decoupling by increasing the cost of their exports to the US market if Chinese inputs or intermediate goods are involved," said Chen Wenling, former chief economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. The new tariffs will take effect on Aug 1 unless these countries can broker new trade deals with the White House. And Trump threatened to raise rates even higher if any of the countries sought to evade the US duties by shipping through other nations. Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said, "Additional tariffs will inevitably impact everyday affordability for US families." "Moreover, they will disrupt global supply chains, compounding the challenges facing the already fragile global economic recovery," Zhou said. According to Trump, there will be no tariff if these countries or companies within the countries decide to build or manufacture products within the US, and that "in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally and routinely — in other words, in a matter of weeks". Earlier this month, Washington struck a deal with Vietnam, an ASEAN country that would see its exports to the US face a 20 percent tariff — lower than the 46 percent Trump had threatened in April. But Vietnamese goods would face a higher 40 percent tariff "on any transshipping", when goods shipped from Vietnam originate from another country, such as China. Guan Jian, a partner at Beijing Grand Win Law Firm, said the US approach toward Vietnam, imposing steep tariffs on goods suspected of being transshipped from another country, including China, could very well become a standard playbook in its future trade negotiations. Chen, the former chief economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said that China has forged tightly knit industrial and supply chain ties with ASEAN countries, which have been China's top trading partners for five consecutive years. In some ASEAN nations, over 70 percent of the intermediate inputs in their manufacturing sectors are sourced from China. "The numbers tell the story. It's not easy for Washington to undermine the market-driven integration," Chen said. Only through collective defense of integrated supply chains and trade stability can China and ASEAN countries counter the protectionist and bullying acts and achieve shared prosperity, Chen added. The Ministry of Commerce also warned on Thursday that China firmly opposes any attempt to reach a deal with the US at the expense of China's interests, and would take countermeasures to safeguard its interests. The erratic nature of US tariff policies will undoubtedly cast some pressure on China's foreign trade sector for some time to come. Jiang Na, a manager at Zhejiang Pros-Forest Logistics, a Ningbo-based freight forwarder, said, "This policy has brought a certain level of uncertainty to our business, with around 10 percent of our operations currently affected." "We will continue to closely monitor the development of this policy, promote supply chain diversification and reduce risks for our clients and enhance our resilience," Jiang said. According to statistics from Ningbo Customs, in the first five months of this year, Ningbo, a foreign trade hub in eastern China, saw its exports to ASEAN economies reach 85.59 billion yuan ($11.93 billion), an increase of 18.5 percent year-on-year. - China Daily/ANN
