Information

1. ASEAN-China cooperation encouraged at forum

Jun. 1， 2022 （China Daily） — ASEAN countries and China should boost economic cooperation in various fields for common prosperity and to address geopolitical challenges brought by China-US tensions， experts said. They made the remarks at a forum focusing on people-to-people exchanges on the Maritime Silk Road， which was organized by the China Cultural Center in Singapore. The Forum was held both online and offline on May 31， where about 40 experts and scholars from China， Singapore and other ASEAN countries shared their views on the history of maritime silk road culture and trade.

2. China-Laos rail link boosts the flow of people， goods

Jun. 4， 2022 （China Daily） — The China-Laos Railway has seen a surge in passenger and cargo numbers since its launch in December， enriching the supply of goods to both sides and enabling people along the line to seek education， visit families， see a doctor and go sightseeing， according to China State Railway Group. As of June 2， the cross-border railway handled more than 3.2 million passenger trips， among which 2.8 million departed from China and about 410，000 left from Laos. The 1，035-kilometer line runs between Kunming， the capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province， and Vientiane， the capital of Laos.

3. China women’s volleyball team loses against Thailand at Nations League

Jun. 6， 2022 （Xinhua） — China’s national women’s volleyball team lost 3-2 against Thailand in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League （VNL） here on June 5. Thailand won the first and fourth sets 25-23， 25-23， while China won the second and third sets 25-13， 25-14， sending the match into tie-breaker. In the fifth set， Thailand edged past China 15-11 for the victory. Outside hitter Li Yingying registered 28 points， while Thailand’s Kokram Pimpichaya also scored 28. It was China’s first loss since the tournament began on May 31.

4. China-Singapore cooperation plan on land-sea trade corridor released

Jun. 9， 2022 （Xinhua） — A cooperation plan on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor jointly compiled by China and Singapore was officially released on June 8 in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. The plan details cooperation in various fields including trade， industry， infrastructures， supply chains and logistics， financial services and investment， and digitalization. It also highlights cooperation in talent exchanges， culture and tourism， and educational training. The land-sea corridor under the China-Singapore （Chongqing） Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by the provincial-level regions of western China and ASEAN countries.

5. Indonesia expands green economy with e-vehicles

Jun. 15， 2022 （China Daily） — Electric vehicle manufacturing is emerging as one of the key sectors in the Indonesian economy， with the nation’s government courting foreign investments and promoting green growth. Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk on May 14 to persuade the world’s biggest EV maker to set up shops in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Widodo， whose country currently chairs the G20， has also invited Musk to attend a summit of the bloc that will be held on the resort island of Bali in November.

6. China’s Shenzhen sees trade grow with RCEP members

Jun. 15， 2022 （Xinhua） — China’s southern boomtown Shenzhen in Guangdong Province saw its trade with members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership （RCEP） near 354 billion yuan （US$ 52.4 billion） from January to May， an increase of 1.2% year-on-year. During the period， exports from Shenzhen to RCEP members reached 123.8 billion yuan， up 11.4% year-on-year， according to statistics from the local customs. The value of the exported goods reached 2.3 billion yuan during the period， while that of the imported goods reached 570 million yuan， the statistics showed.

7. Indonesia looks to export chickens to shortage-hit Singapore

Jun. 20， 2022 （The Jakarta Post） — Indonesian authorities hope to reach an agreement with Singapore to start exporting chickens within weeks， officials said， as the city-state scrambles to find alternative supply sources after another neighbor Malaysia restricted sales. In a further sign of growing global food shortages and supply chain issues， Malaysia halted chicken exports this month until local production and soaring costs stabilize. The move had a knock-on impact in Singapore with restaurants and street stalls hiking prices of its de-facto national dish， chicken rice.

8. Final tunnel on Indonesia rail line completed

Jun. 21， 2022 （China Daily） — The last tunnel on the high-speed rail line linking the Indonesian capital， Jakarta and the city of Bandung was completed on June 21， the thirteenth to be built along the line， marking an important milestone in construction， the China State Railway Group said. The 142-kilometer line has 16，643 meters of tunnels， driven through complicated and sometimes unstable geological strata composed of clay， mud， and sandstone. These relatively weak materials are subject to potential problems such as instability， deformation and even collapse， posing a challenge to construction.

Sources： Xinhua， China Daily

Editor in Charge： Chen Zhiying