Information

1. China eyes enhanced cooperation in various fields with Thailand： FM

Aug. 20， 2023 （Xinhua）— Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on August 19 met with the visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing. Wang expressed China’s readiness to continue supporting the building of the ASEAN community， supporting ASEAN centrality， and supporting joint efforts to build an economic growth center. Don said under the current situation of rising international and regional uncertainties， Thailand is willing to further strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China， deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields， promote China-Laos-Thailand railway connection， and work for common development.

2. Thailand’s fruit exports to slow down in H2， with China as growth point

Aug. 1， 2023 （Xinhua）— Thailand’s fruit exports are expected to experience a slowdown in the second half of 2023， with China identified as the primary source of growth， according to the latest report by the Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center. The report highlighted challenges in the latter part of the year， including the passing of the peak season， potential economic slowdown in major export markets， and climate change impacts affecting fruit quality and yield， which could lead to a decline in the total value of Thailand’s fruit exports in the rest of the year.

3. Chinese tea culture event organized in Myanmar

Aug. 1， 2023 （Xinhua）— A Chinese tea culture event， entitled “Tea for Harmony： Yaji Cultural Salon，” in conjunction with a China tourism promotion event， was held at the China Cultural Center on August 1. Nearly 100 people attended the tea culture event， including Myanmar’s officials， representatives from Chinese communities in Myanmar， and local residents. The event will help deepen Myanmar people’s understanding about the local culture of Yunnan， and promote the cultural exchange and cooperation between Yunnan province and Myanmar.

4. Cambodia， China agree to strengthen strategic mutual trust， traditional friendship

Aug. 13， 2023 （Xinhua）— Cambodian then Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on August 13 to further strengthen the strategic mutual trust and carry on the traditional friendship between the two countries. Under the leadership of then Prime Minister Hun Sen， Wang said， Cambodia has gone from war to peace， from turmoil to stability， from poverty to prosperity， and from the region to the world， as its development achievements are obvious to all. The ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia is everlasting and China-Cambodia relations enjoy a brighter future for development.

5. Chinese ambassador library inaugurated at National University of Laos

Aug. 19， 2023 （Xinhua）— A Chinese ambassador library has been inaugurated at the National University of Laos （NUOL） in the Lao capital Vientiane， aiming to enrich the reading resources of the NUOL and enhance Lao students’ understanding of China-Laos friendship. The books collected in this library include Chinese language， culture， and literature. The Chinese Embassy has established libraries in several provinces of Laos and will continue to create more libraries in the Southeast Asian country， in order to bring vitality for the development of Laos’ education and plant a seed of China-Laos friendship.

6. Singapore to hold presidential poll on Sept 1

Aug. 22， 2023 （Xinhua）— Singapore will hold polls for the presidential election on Sept 1， Returning Officer Tan Meng Dui announced on August 22 after three candidates filed nomination documents. Senior investor Ng Kok Song， former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam， and Tan Kin Lian， former income chief of the National Trades Union Congress， were nominated for the presidency campaign. As the head of the city-state， the Singaporean president is empowered to veto government budgets and key public appointments， authorize anti-corruption investigations， and safeguard the country’s fiscal reserve.

7. Indonesia gears up to combat air pollution ahead of ASEAN summit

Aug. 29， 2023 （Xinhua）— Indonesia has geared up to combat air pollution ahead of the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN）， scheduled in the capital city of Jakarta early next month. The current severe air pollution in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has led to increasing health problems among the public. The Jakarta administration and city police recently dispatched fire trucks to spray water on major roads across the capital， saying that it would wash away dust and other pollutants that contribute to air pollution.

8. Malaysia celebrates 66th anniversary of independence

Aug. 31， 2023 （Xinhua）— Malaysia celebrated the 66th anniversary of its independence with parades， fireworks， and large scale gatherings on August 31 under the theme of unifying ties between its diverse groups. Thousands of Malaysians marked the occasion through the singing of patriotic songs and other activities， with the festivities culminating in a parade overseen by King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at the administration center of Putrajaya. In a message to the people， Sultan Abdullah reminded Malaysians that unity is key to harmony， wellbeing of the people and the Southeast Asian country.