As the Asia-Pacific’s “zero-Covid-19” economies pick up the pace of their sluggish vaccination drives, a difficult question looms on the post-pandemic horizon: how many deaths should a society accept?Even if they can achieve high vaccination rates, low-Covid-19 bubbles such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam – which saved countless lives with border closures, sporadic lockdowns, and social distancing measures – will likely have to confront unprecedented coronavirus…
China must consider environmental effect and economic fragility for belt and road projects, study says
The lion’s share of Belt and Road Initiative investment should go to countries in southern and southeast Asia because they have fewer environmental issues to threaten economic development, according to a new study in China.The study led by Professor Fang Chuanglin argued that some countries in the land-based Eurasia economic belt such as Iran and Afghanistan were poor and in desperate need of economic development, but their fragile environment could collapse in rapid growth. Fang is a senior…
China-Australia relations: Canberra to decide ‘very shortly’ on WTO action against wine tariffs
Australian trade minister Dan Tehan said his government is bolstering its legal arguments before potentially asking the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve its wine-tariff trade dispute with China.The WTO action was “under active consideration” and Australia would be “making a decision very shortly,” Tehan said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Wednesday.“You’ve got to make sure that you’ve got the very best legal argument and the very best legal case to do that, so we want to make…
Why Asean-China relations will remain cordial, but not close
China hosted the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a meeting in Chongqing on June 7-8 to mark the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations between the two sides. Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the region, China offered Asean its support by way of the supply and joint production of vaccines.Further, the joint statement issued said both parties would “advance Asean-China Strategic Partnership to new heights by forging closer cooperation”. The subtext…
Net zero pledge to be required for UK government contracts
Contractors looking to pick up UK government contracts worth more than £5 million a year will also need to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and detail their environmental management measures during the performance of the contract, according to new mandatory guidance issued by the government.
New South Wales calls for bids for 8GW of renewable projects
The state government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has opened the registration of interest process for a series of energy infrastructure projects with storage capacity of 8 gigawatts (GW).
Will G7 climate pledge prompt Asian governments to ditch coal or lean more heavily on China?
The G7 nations failed to go far enough at their weekend summit to halt the use of coal, but a pledge to phase out international funding for new coal power this year could help shift Asia’s policy on the dirty fuel, analysts said.At a meeting in Britain, leaders of the powerful group of nations said they supported “a green revolution” and committed to stop by the end of 2021 new international funding for coal-fired plants that are not fitted with technology to reduce their planet-warming carbon…
Malaysia’s sultans to meet as public anger against Muhyiddin government grows
Malaysia’s sultans may have limited constitutional powers, but what they say after a special Conference of Rulers on Wednesday could determine whether the government looks to extend a state of emergency that dates back to January, analysts say.Along with the suspension of parliament, the emergency – which expires on August 1 – has granted Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government vast executive powers that critics say are being used to throttle opponents rather than deal with the Covid-19…
Post-Brexit consultation on UK IP exhaustion rights launched
The UK government has opened a consultation on the future regime for the exhaustion, or limit, of intellectual property (IP) rights in the wake of the country’s withdrawal from the EU.
Will tourism reopenings and more stimulus be enough to kick-start Thailand’s post-pandemic economic recovery?
Last week Thaisho, a small bar in Bangkok, got rid of its tables, chairs, glasses and cutlery, and closed its doors for good.Thailand’s third wave of Covid-19 has dragged into a third month, with no signs of slowing down, and the bar and restaurant sector has taken yet another hit because of social distancing measures. Thaisho, which has been operating for three years, was able to cope with last year’s lockdown in the capital, but the prospects are too bleak this time around.“There is no way to…