8 peran indonesia dalam asean

Soldiers guard at a checkpoint in Mandalay, Myanmar (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The foreign ministers of Singapore and Indonesia support a proposal to hold an informal ASEAN ministerial meeting on Myanmar, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on February 18.

The statement was issued following Singapore an Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s meeting with his visiting Indonesia n counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Singapore on the same day.

The MFA said the two ministers discussed possible next steps for ASEAN to address the situation in Myanmar, including how it could foster inclusive dialogue with all key stakeholders, including its external partners.

They also expressed strong support for a proposed Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Myanmar to be convened as soon as possible, to facilitate a constructive exchange of views and identify a possible way forward.

Retno arrived in Singapore on February 17 and left on the next day.

She also visited Brunei on February 17 and met with its Second Foreign Minister Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, where discussions on the situation in Myanmar were held. Brunei is the current ASEAN Chair.

The military took power and declared the state of emergency in Myanmar after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) on February 1.

Previously, the military had demanded the postponement of the new parliament sessions, citing massive voting fraud in the November 2020 elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament. The country’s Union Election Commission had dismissed the allegation./.

The Hanoitimes – As a production hubs of world major tech firms such as Samsung, Vietnam is capable of manufacturing sophisticated products with high technological content, said an expert.

Vietnam’s economy could surpass Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines in coming years, according to C.K. Tong, CEO of BW Industrial Development, a joint venture between the US private equity fund Warburg Pincus and Vietnam’s Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (Becamex IDC).

C.K. Tong, CEO of BW Industrial Development. Photo: VNA.

Regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam has been gaining attentions from foreign investors, said Mr. Tong at an online conference themed “Vietnam – The Rising Star”, discussing investment opportunities in Vietnam in the post-Covid-19 period on September 7.

Before the outbreak, many companies had adopted the “China plus 1” strategy, aiming to diversify operations into other countries instead of focusing solely on China, added Mr. Tong.

A growing production cost in China, coupled with its current trade tension with the US, has accelerated the process, during which Vietnam holds favorable advantages in receiving a new wave of foreign direct investment (FDI) from the “China plus 1” strategy, Mr. Tong stated.

According to Mr. Tong, Vietnam has the major advantage of being in close proximity with China that allows the former to access input materials from its neighboring country.

Moreover, there are some similarities in culture and production method between Vietnam and China, therefore, it would not take long for investors to settle in case they move production to Vietnam.

Another important factor is that Vietnam is capable of manufacturing sophisticated products with high technological content, Mr. Tong said, referring to the country being Samsung’s smartphone production hub.

Nirukt Sapru, Standard Chartered Bank’s CEO in Vietnam, ASEAN and South Asia Cluster Markets, stressed Vietnam as a gateway for investors looking for business opportunities in ASEAN.

Pointing to a survey conducted recently by the bank, Mr. Nirukt said 38% of respondents are planning to expand their supply chains in Vietnam, the highest rate among ASEAN countries.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung. Photo: VNA.

Year to August 20, registered FDI for fresh projects in Vietnam increased by 6.6% year-on-year to US$9.73 billion while existing projects have been injected an additional US$4.87 billion, up 22.2%. This showed Vietnam remains an attractive investment destination globally, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

To prepare for new investment inflows, Vietnam has been preparing in terms of infrastructure and human resources, so that the country could offer greater incentives and conveniences for investors, as well as enhance its national competitiveness in attracting FDI, added Mr. Dung.

Mr. Dung said the Vietnamese government is drafting the development strategy for the upcoming decade that prioritizes breakthroughs in legal framework, infrastructure and human resources.

Regarding the human resources, Vietnam is expected to push ahead with development plan before the year of 2030 when the demographic dividend is over.

Vietnam targets an average GDP growth rate of 7% per year, in which processing and manufacturing would contribute 30% of GDP and digital economy would make up 30% in the coming years, Mr. Dung informed.

The Hanoitimes – The ASEAN chair is by tradition expected to show restraint and place the region’s interests before its own.

Vietnam is likely to make its full efforts to boost ASEAN unity when it assumes the chairmanship of the bloc in 2020 in the face of more assertive China in the South China Sea, regional experts have said.

Prof. Aleksius Jemadu, Pelita Harapan University. Photo: Medcom

Hanoi is pushing for a more “cohesive and responsive” ASEAN next year which international relations experts believe will be a challenging year for ASEAN unity, setting the tone for the contestation of a decades-long dispute in the South China Sea, the Jakarta Post quoted Prof. Aleksius Jemadu at Pelita Harapan University, Indonesia as saying.

Vietnam officially announced its plans for the ASEAN chairmanship at the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in November. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc noted in his speech during the handover ceremony that Vietnam had adopted “A Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN” as the theme for its 2020 chairmanship.

Vietnam takes over the chairmanship from Thailand, with plans to host as many as 300 meetings and activities, a vice foreign minister said. The most important of those meetings are the ASEAN Summits that are slated for April and November, as well as the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in August.

Aleksius Jemadu said the country wished to foster a “sustainable cohesiveness” among member states by consolidating unity, increasing economic connectivity, promoting shared values and a common identity, improving ASEAN’s efficiency and ties with dialogue partners.

He said Vietnam’s theme for next year indicated intent to restore ASEAN unity in the face of growing Chinese influence in the region.

Teuku Rezasyah, International Relations, Padjadjaran University. Photo: Netnews

“Vietnam is committed to regional cooperation as an important platform to deal with the great powers; […] it is going to [do its utmost to] make its chairmanship successful in dealing with geopolitical concerns partly to do with the rise of China,” he said in a discussion hosted by the Habibie Center in Jakarta on Tuesday [December 3].

The COC is a set of norms and guidelines that will govern activities in the South China Sea which is claimed by China and a few other countries, including Vietnam. Vietnam and China have been involved in a number of skirmishes this year, further straining testy ties. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which is one of the world’s busiest global maritime shipping routes.

But he pointed out that “Vietnam’s assertive policy as a claimant in the South China Sea is hampered by the pragmatic attitude of other claimants, such as the Philippines and Brunei,” while also noting China’s strong economic influence over neighboring Cambodia and Laos.

However, Vietnam should be confident enough to perform its duties as ASEAN chair with its stable national leadership and the good work ethic of its people, as well as its proven capacity as a quick learner when it comes to competing in the global economy, said Prof. Teuku Rezasyah, International Relations, Padjadjaran University, Indonesia.

In the midst of a slowing global economy, Vietnam has emerged as an outlier among the developing economies of Asia, having successfully weathered the economic headwinds exacerbated by an ongoing trade war between China and the US.

According to the World Bank, Vietnam recorded 7% gross domestic product growth in 2018, outpacing its ASEAN brethren. “It is well above the region’s average of 4%,” Rezasyah said.

The World Bank projects that, in the medium-term, Vietnam’s economic outlook would remain positive even as the prospects for other economies like Indonesia had been slashed.

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam has suggested setting up a Joint Ministerial Working Group in ASEAN to cope with the coronavirus epidemic.

Vietnam is making efforts to connect ASEAN state members fighting against coronavirus epidemic while fulfilling missions given to the ASEAN chair this year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: MOFA

“Vietnam has recommended a number of measures to promote ASEAN’s common efforts in coping with the epidemic,” the MOFA Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang has said at a recent press conference.

The country has actively conducted measures against the epidemic together with the missions of the chair of the regional organization, Thu Hang said in a statement.

According to the spokeswoman, on January 30, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh as Head of the ASEAN Coordinating Council, sent a letter to all ASEAN members to set up a Joint Ministerial Working Group with an aim to boost information sharing and better collaboration against the epidemic.

Vietnam keeps an eye on the epidemic and prepares for changes of the chairmanship year in necessary cases. Any changes will be made based on the consensus of the ASEAN members to ensure that the bloc’s activities will take place with the utmost safety, Hang said.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on a phone call with Indonesia counterpart Joko Widodo. Photo: VNA

Last week, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a phone call with Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo to discuss regional collaboration in the epidemic control.

PM Phuc applauded Indonesia’s prompt implementation of preventive measures and no coronavirus infection has been found in the country so far.

The Indonesian president expressed his support to the plan of a Joint Ministerial Working Group and said he highly valued the initiatives taken by Vietnam.

As of February 11, six out of 10 ASEAN state members are hit by coronavirus, including Cambodia (one infection), Malaysia (18 inffections), Singapore (47), Thailand (33), the Philippines (3), and Vietnam (15).

Scenarios for the economy impacts of the COVID-19 crisis

Also in the framework of the Vietnam Venture Summit 2020 (which will take place next week, on Wednesday, November 25 in Hanoi), the pre-event webinar named “Reimagining ASEAN’s economy from the pandemic” took place on November 18 with the participation of experts in various countries like Bruce Delteil from McKinsey & Company, Dong Jun Im from Hanwha Life Vietnam, Jefrey Joe from Alpha JWC, Thieu Phuong Nam from Qualcomm Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Steven Okun from APAC Advisors, and Thiam Hee Ng from ADB.

Most experts said that no nation has escaped widespread disruption from COVID-19. While the pandemic has affected nearly every country, its timing, the degree of disruption, and the ability of countries to respond have varied significantly.

Larger, developed nations have generally had the resources and infrastructure to weather the pandemic and provide a solid foundation for recovery. Less-developed countries, including emerging ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) began the crisis at a disadvantage, and COVID-19 exposed and often heightened their challenges.

McKinsey’s research on emerging ASEAN countries explored a series of trends that the pandemic has caused or accelerated. Within these trends lie the potential recipe for recovery but stakeholders must be prepared to reimagine their country’s economy. Five key levers – manufacturing hubs, green infrastructure, investments in digital, talent reskilling, and high-value food industries – could not only speed up the economic recovery in these countries but also lay the foundation for extended growth.

Bruce Delteil from McKinsey & Company shared some potential economic outlook scenarios that reflected the effectiveness of virus containment and economic response. A survey of 100 ASEAN executives found that 40 per cent of respondents favoured the A1 scenario, in which economic interventions would be effective in shoring up essential consumption but a recurrence of the virus was likely, leading to the second round of lockdowns. 18 per cent of executives agreed with the A3 scenario, where initial measures would contain the virus and prevent repeated lockdowns. These results were in line with a larger survey of 2,500 global executives.

Under the A1 scenario, the global economy’s growth rate would be -11.1 per cent compared with the late quarter 2019 growth rates. Several emerging ASEAN countries could see a more drastic slowdown: Thailand (-13 per cent), Malaysia (-13.5 per cent), and the Philippines (-13.6 per cent). Meanwhile, Indonesia’s economy could see a decline of -10.3 per cent, roughly on par with the global average. All of these countries are estimated to record annual GDP growth below that of the 2008 global financial crisis (-11.5 to -5.3 per cent forecasted for 2020 compared with -2.2 to 4.5 per cent in 2009).

Experts also pointed out five growth levers for emerging ASEAN that could be an engine propelling ASEAN’s growth in the coming years. Of which, Intra-Asia trade is expected to fall 13 per cent from 2019 to 2020 compared with a drop of 20 per cent in east-to-west trade. The inclination of senior global executives to diversify supply chains from China to other Asian countries has intensified. Based on a survey of 150 global businesses by QIMA, 67 per cent of EU executives and 80 per cent of US executives said they intend to shift sourcing to other Asian countries.

In the opinion of Steven Okun, founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, Vietnam is the hub of free trade agreements, an advantage that few countries have to diversify their supply chains. Moreover, Vietnam is trying to update cut-edge technologies, so this is one of the most attractive destinations in the region. Vietnam ranks third among leading countries receiving venture funds.

Sharing this opinion, Thieu Phuong Nam, country manager of Qualcomm Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, said that Vietnam is one of the fastest developing innovation centres in the region, and there is a promising land for technology companies in Vietnam. So Qualcomm has developed an R&D centre there to research the Internet of Things, 5G, and machine learning.

Also at the webinar, experts recommended that ASEAN countries should keep together to recover after the pandemic. “The most important factor to recover after COVID-19 is to expand upgrade healthcare system, especially for poor and disadvantaged people in society,” Thiam Hee Ng from ADB said.

Meanwhile, Jefrey Joe, co-founder and managing partner at Alpha JWC said that tax is an issue for new business models. Startups are facing a lot of challenges, and need the support of big corporations like in Vietnam Venture Summit to strengthen the connection, update, and building some successful cooperation.

The Hanoitimes – Strong commitment to better partnership between ASEAN and its partners will be the focus of the last summit this year.

A Vietnamese senior diplomat has said the upcoming 37th ASEAN Summit would focus on evaluating the bloc’s internal and external affairs and future oritentations.

Leaders of ASEAN member states at the 35th ASEAN Summit in Thailand in 2019. Photo: Thong Nhat

The event will include the 37th ASEAN Summit, with the participation of top ASEAN leaders, and 20 related summits showing the 10-member bloc’s strong commitment to partnership between ASEAN and its partners, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the ASEAN SOM of Vietnam, said at a press conference on Monday.

Indeed, the summits, set to take place in Hanoi on November 12-15, will include a series of virtual meetings: 23rd ASEAN-China Summit, 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit, 21st ASEAN-ROK Summit, 17th ASEAN-India Summit, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2020, 2nd Mekong-ROK Summit, 12th Mekong-Japan Summit, 8th ASEAN-US Summit, ASEAN-New Zealand Leaders’ Summit, and Second ASEAN-Australia Biennial Summit.

In addition, they include 23rd ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit, 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), 11th ASEAN-UN Summit, ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit, and 4th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will preside over the 37th ASEAN Summit, host the 12th Mekong-Japan Summit and the 2nd Mekong-Korea Summit.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President Nguyen Phu Trong is expected to attend and deliver a welcoming speech.

Strong partnership

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung said the new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact the economic recovery while uncertainties in the regional and global major power competition together with traditional and non-traditional security issues are posing threats to regional stability.

“The summit is believed to be an opportunity for ASEAN leaders to show their strong commitment to maintaining cooperation and response to the Covid-19 pandemic and reinforcing the ASEAN Centrality in the face of a complicated and unpredictable situation globally,” Mr. Dung said.

The 37th ASEAN Summit, the last summit under the Vietnam Chair, is expected to witness the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a proposed free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region between the ten ASEAN member states namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and five of their partners: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

Mr. Dung said the negotiations for the signing have completed and the negotiating parties are finalizing internal procedures for the signing. If the internal procedures of all countries are completed in time, the signing will take place on November 15.

Regarding external policies with the US in the context of the country’s recent presidential election, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung said ASEAN always welcomes the US to play an important role in the region, to make responsible and constructive contributions, to shape the rules-based regional order, as well as contribute to maintaining peace, stability and development in the region. He added that the four-decade ASEAN-US relationship has a steady foundation for the development in the future.

“We believe that any US president will support this trend in the ASEAN-US relations over the past years and ASEAN’s expectation to push up the strategic partnership for the common interests that not only benefits ASEAN but the US,” the Vietnamese diplomat said.

In terms of common response to the pandemic, the ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund has received a donation of US$10 million from ASEAN member states and partners. The ASEAN Center for Emerging Diseases Response will also be announced on this occasion.