May 21, 2014 2:54 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Asian countries against building what he sees as unhelpful military alliances, in what is seen as a swipe at nations that have developed closer defense ties with the United States. The comments came Wednesday in Shanghai at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), a regional grouping China hopes to use to offset U.S. influence. "We should stick to the basic norms in international relations such as the respect for the independence of sovereignty and integrity of territory, mutual non-interference into internal affairs. We should respect the political systems and development methods different countries choose willingly. We should respect and look after the reasonable security concerns of every country. It is disadvantageous to the common security of the region if military alliances with third parties are strengthened,” said Xi. Many of China's neighbors have boosted their military cooperation with the U.S. in response to what they see as China's increasing use of force and intimidation in its many territorial disputes. In particular, Beijing's maritime spats with Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea have worsened in recent months. During a visit to Asia last month, President Barack Obama sought to reassure allies such as Japan and the Philippines that his long-promised strategic shift towards Asia and the Pacific, widely seen as aimed at countering China's rising influence, was real. The CICA grouping includes Vietnam, while the Philippines and Japan are not members but had representatives at the meeting. The group also excludes the U.S., while including nations such as Iran and Russia. Anti-Chinese violence flared in Vietnam last week after Chinese state oil company CNOOC deployed an oil rig 150 miles off the coast of Vietnam in waters also claimed by Hanoi. The rig was towed there just days after Obama left the region. The move was the latest in a series of confrontations between China and some of its neighbors over the potentially oil-and-gas rich South China Sea. Washington has responded with sharpened rhetoric toward Beijing, describing a pattern of “provocative” actions by China. The CICA is relatively obscure in comparison to other Asian regional groupings, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but Beijing, which took over as chair of the CICA from Turkey this week, hopes to use the group and others like it to help expand Chinese influence across the region. President Xi said the grouping should help create a "new regional security cooperation architecture." Although he provided few details, he said this could include a "defense consultation mechanism" and a "security response center" in case of regional emergencies. Addressing China's territorial feuds, he said Beijing is "committed to seeking peaceful settlement of disputes with other countries over territorial sovereignty, and maritime rights and interests." State broadcaster China Central Television aired the arrival of various leaders for the meeting live, but, underscoring the sensitivity of China's territorial disputes, it cut away from images of Xi shaking hands with the representatives from Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Asian countries against building what he sees as unhelpful military alliances, in what is seen as a swipe at nations that have developed closer defense ties with the United States. The comments came Wednesday in Shanghai at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), a regional grouping China hopes to use to offset U.S. influence. "We should stick to the basic norms in international relations such as the respect for the independence of sovereignty and integrity of territory, mutual non-interference into internal affairs. We should respect the political systems and development methods different countries choose willingly. We should respect and look after the reasonable security concerns of every country. It is disadvantageous to the common security of the region if military alliances with third parties are strengthened,” said Xi. Many of China's neighbors have boosted their military cooperation with the U.S. in response to what they see as China's increasing use of force and intimidation in its many territorial disputes. In particular, Beijing's maritime spats with Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea have worsened in recent months. During a visit to Asia last month, President Barack Obama sought to reassure allies such as Japan and the Philippines that his long-promised strategic shift towards Asia and the Pacific, widely seen as aimed at countering China's rising influence, was real. The CICA grouping includes Vietnam, while the Philippines and Japan are not members but had representatives at the meeting. The group also excludes the U.S., while including nations such as Iran and Russia. Anti-Chinese violence flared in Vietnam last week after Chinese state oil company CNOOC deployed an oil rig 150 miles off the coast of Vietnam in waters also claimed by Hanoi. The rig was towed there just days after Obama left the region. The move was the latest in a series of confrontations between China and some of its neighbors over the potentially oil-and-gas rich South China Sea. Washington has responded with sharpened rhetoric toward Beijing, describing a pattern of “provocative” actions by China. The CICA is relatively obscure in comparison to other Asian regional groupings, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but Beijing, which took over as chair of the CICA from Turkey this week, hopes to use the group and others like it to help expand Chinese influence across the region. President Xi said the grouping should help create a "new regional security cooperation architecture." Although he provided few details, he said this could include a "defense consultation mechanism" and a "security response center" in case of regional emergencies. Addressing China's territorial feuds, he said Beijing is "committed to seeking peaceful settlement of disputes with other countries over territorial sovereignty, and maritime rights and interests." State broadcaster China Central Television aired the arrival of various leaders for the meeting live, but, underscoring the sensitivity of China's territorial disputes, it cut away from images of Xi shaking hands with the representatives from Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. Some information in this report was contributed by Reuters.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Is Collective Self-Defense in Japan's Future?
The environment in which Japan exists is changing. Tokyo must change along with it, or live at the mercy of others. Michael Mazza, May 20, 2014 inShare.1On Thursday, May 15, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that his government was officially launching discussions on revising the constitution’s interpretation to allow for collective self-defense. That it was clear this was coming does not make the announcement any less momentous. For sure, Abe does not have a smooth path to updating the government’s interpretation of the Japanese constitution. The Liberal Democratic Party’s coalition partners are not keen on the change, there is resistance within the LDP itself, and Japanese voters remain skeptical. At the end of the day, however, the arguments for allowing collective self-defense are persuasive, and if Abe can continue delivering on his promise to revitalize the economy—first quarter GDP growth reached 5.9 percent, and a major fiscal stimulus is planned for the second quarter—he just may get his way. A primary argument from the opposition is that permitting collective self-defense will inevitably lead to Japanese involvement in overseas conflicts in which the country has little at stake. The argument is both alarmist and assumes an exceedingly narrow definition of the national interest. It has become clear that a broadened interpretation of the constitution would put well-defined limits on when Japanese forces could act to defend others. Opening the door to collective self-defense does not constitute a blank check for armed intervention abroad. According to the Japan Times, a government panel that studied the issue concluded that Japan should aid another under attack “if such an attack could lead to a direct attack to Japan, critically damage the Japan-U.S. military alliance, considerably affect the international order, or remarkably damage the life and rights of the Japanese people.” None of these is a peripheral interest. Rather, Abe and his advisers see the right to exercise collective self-defense as necessary to ensure the security and prosperity of Japan as well as regional peace. Regional peace, meanwhile, increasingly appears to hang in the balance. China is antagonizing its neighbors and testing the United States at a troubling clip. Pyongyang is testing missiles and threatening to detonate a nuclear device while the two Koreas exchange artillery fire in the Yellow Sea. Tens of thousands of Taiwan’s citizens recently took to the streets to protest closer ties to mainland China. And right now, ships are firing water cannons at and ramming each other off the Vietnamese coast, while Chinese vessels attempt to starve out Philippine marines on Second Thomas Shoal. An incident leading to escalation—either unwanted or intentional—is no distant possibility. Japan’s current leadership knows that Japanese interests extend far beyond the southern Ryukyu islands. That Abe should want tools to defend Japanese interests further afield—whether it be to ensure continued freedom of navigation or protect an Asian order in which states do not resort to aggression to achieve their ends—should come as little surprise. Still, although pursuing a revised interpretation of the constitution is both natural and rational, it is also revolutionary. Even if applied in only a very narrow range of scenarios, exercising the right to collective self-defense will be a monumental change for a country that has more or less outsourced its own self-defense since the end of World War II. There are implications for defense spending and for the types of forces Japan fields—for how they train, how they operate, and how they interact with foreign militaries. There are implications for Japan’s foreign policy—for the types of relationships it pursues and the defense agreements it forges. Finally, there are even implications for Japan’s identity. Japan’s people have defined their country as a pacifist one for decades. But should the Maritime Self-Defense Forces one day lawfully come to the defense of a U.S. warship under attack or of a Korean freighter beset by Somali pirates, there will naturally be questions about just what it means for Japan to be “pacifist.” None of this is to say that Abe is acting rashly or impulsively. Rather, he has recognized that the environment in which Japan lives is changing. Japan must change along with it or live at the mercy of others less hesitant to shape the world to their own desires. Michael Mazza is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Follow him on Twitter: @Mike_Mazza.
Connectivity is a challenge to ASEAN integration – Singaporean minister
By DANESSA O. RIVERA, GMA NewsMay 22, 2014 6:40pm 22 23 0 69 Connectivity is key to equitable development under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) starting 2015, a Singaporean official told business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Makati City on Thursday. The region should not just focus on forming an single-market because it is only one pillar of the AEC, Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Transport in Singapore, said during the discussions on "Connect on Trade: Lifting Barriers to Growth." To have equitable development across the region and to be competitive globally, "you need connectivity," which remains a challenge, she said. "We need connectivity to make sure there is free flow of goods and services, equitable development, and increased competitiveness," she said. By 2015, the AEC sets in motion the creation of single market for the 10-nation bloc which include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Air, cyrber, land connectivity ASEAN connectivity has three key areas: air, cyber space, and land and rail. Air travel is expected to grow significantly in the region due to a growing middle class, Teo said. "The demand for air travel in our part of the world will grow tremendously, because the growing middle class will exceed North America and Europe combined," she noted. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects air passengers to grow by 800 million this year, of which half would originate from the ASEAN region. The ASEAN open skies policy can be patterned after the European single aviation market, Teo said, noting the region can expect a multi-fold increase in number of flights, including direct city links, as well as reduced cost in air transport for passengers and freight. A challenge to regional connectivity is the capacity of airports. "There's a lot of need and opportunity to invest in airport capacity," Teo said. To unleash the full growth capacity of the region, the AEC should also sign air transport agreements with other big economies. Teo said the region currently has an air transport agreement with China and in the works are Japan, Korea and India. – VS, GMA News
burma May 23, 2014
Along Thai-Burma Border, Signs of Rising Drug Trade Voice of America On the Thai-Burma border, authorities are witnessing the rise firsthand. Along the Thai-Burmese border, regional trade has increased as countries ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burma Census Data May Be Used Politically: Official The Irrawaddy News Magazine While individual data will be kept confidential, the Burmese government cannot control how the aggregate results are used, according to a spokesman ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burma Gets $91M to Tackle HIV, TB and Malaria The Irrawaddy News Magazine RANGOON — The Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG) has committed US$91 million to help Burma deal with HIV, tuberculosis (TB) ... Flag as irrelevant Democratic Voice of Burma Burma govt says US sanctions 'not a big issue' Democratic Voice of Burma The renewal of some US sanctions on Burma will not harm economic relations between the two countries, according to the Union of Myanmar [Burma] ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burmese Vice President Draws Ire With Cost of Living Comment The Irrawaddy News Magazine RANGOON — Burma's leaders are under fire for being out of touch after the country's vice president reportedly insisted that a little over US$2 was a ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Ditching Clunkers, Car Imports Drive Burmese Demand for Oil The Irrawaddy News Magazine A worker operates an engine to lower a drill into an oil well at Bandau Pen village in Thayet Township, Magway Division. Burma produces some oil of ... Flag as irrelevant Italian missionary, Burmese catechist to be beatified as martyrs Catholic Culture Father Mario Vergara (1910-1950), an Italian missionary, and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, a Burmese lay catechist, will be beatified as martyrs at the cathedral ... Flag as irrelevant Democratic Voice of Burma World Bank to boost Burma's education system Democratic Voice of Burma The World Bank has announced it will provide US$100 million to expand the Burmese Ministry of Education's School Grants and School Stipends ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Nationwide Ceasefire to Include 'Federal System' Clause: Ethnic Leader The Irrawaddy News Magazine RANGOON — A representative of Burma's ethnic armed groups says military representatives have accepted that ongoing peace negotiations will be ... Flag as irrelevant Democratic Voice of Burma Review Committee supports overturning Article 436 Democratic Voice of Burma Burma's parliamentary Joint-Committee for Reviewing the Constitution (JCRC) is set to propose a constitutional amendment to Article 436 – the ...
BURMA AND THAILAND NEWS SUMMERY -May 22, 2014
NEWS Along Thai-Burma Border, Signs of Rising Drug Trade Voice of America CHIANG MAI, THAILAND — According to a new United Nations report, seizures of illegal methamphetamine drugs around the world last year reached ... Flag as irrelevant The Irrawaddy News Magazine Ditching Clunkers, Car Imports Drive Burmese Demand for Oil The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burma produces some oil of its own, but most is imported. ... But traders say undocumented fuel flows, particularly
News summary-2014-05-22
News World Bank Project Puts $100m Toward Education in Burma BruDirect.com - 11 hours World Bank Project Puts $100m Toward Education in Burma Kyaw Hsu Mon Rangoon — A US$100 million World Bank-backed project will improve the ... Military alternative Philippine Daily Inquirer - 20 hours We view the turn of events in Thailand with great concern. Thais are longtime allies and friends of the Philippines, and the declaration of ... Who Was Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari? Sahara Reporters - 19 hours By Haruna Y. Poloma Last week, Nigerians awoke to the horrifying news of an army mutiny at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno State, ... China: The Long-Term Prospects Are Good Strategy Page - 3 hours May 22, 2014: In the northwest (Xinjiang) Uighur terrorists are increasingly aggressive in attacking the growing Chinese presence among them. Russia Sees China Gas Contract as a Blow Against West VOA News - 16 hours China and Russia, who have been haggling for a decade over the price of Siberian gas, have suddenly reached an agreement. Facing Western ...
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