Integrity Legal

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate is poised to hold a hearing to discuss the repeal of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) and a possible replacement piece of legislation referred to as the Respect for Marriage Act. To provide further information on these developments it is necessary to quote directly from the Washington Blade website, WashingtonBlade.com:

The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced that an anticipated hearing on legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act has been set for July 20. According to a notice, the hearing on DOMA repeal legislation, also known as the Respect for Marriage Act, will take place July 20 at 10 a.m. in Room 226 the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witnesses who will testify will be announced in the coming days. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is co-sponsor of the legislation that would repeal DOMA, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. In the Senate, the legislation is sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)…

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above in order to read this article in detail.

In the context of American immigration the provisions of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) result in a situation where the LGBT community is subject to legal discrimination. For instance, same sex bi-national couples cannot receive the same visa benefits as their different-sex counterparts. Therefore, visas such as the K-1 visa, the CR-1 visa, and the IR-1 visa are not available to those who have a same sex partner or for those couples who have entered into a same sex marriage. This discrimination occurs even where the same sex couple in question has been married in one of the sovereign American States or the District of Columbia where same sex marriages are legalized and/or solemnized. Currently, pending legislation such as the aforementioned Respect for Marriage Act (introduced in the United States House of Representative by Representative Jerrold Nadler, who also introduced the Uniting American Families Act designed to deal specifically with the immigration implications of DOMA) and the Reuniting Families Act (introduced by Representative Mike Honda) would address certain aspects of DOMA. In fact, the Respect for Marriage Act is designed to provide a doctrine of “certainty” whereby those couples married in one of the sovereign American States which recognize such unions can rely upon federal recognition of such unions regardless of their physical location.

In news pertaining to business in China and the United States of America it recently came to this blogger’s attention that China may be poised to import as much as 2 million metric tons of American corn. In order to provide more specifics it is necessary to quote directly from an article written by Tom Polansek and posted to the website of the The Wall Street Journal, WSJ.com:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its estimates for corn exports to China fourfold, another nod to the country’s rising demand in a market under strain. In addition, the amount of the grain used to make ethanol is expected to eclipse its use in animal feed in the U.S. for the first time ever. China is now forecast to import 2 million metric tons of U.S. corn in the next marketing year, which begins on Sept. 1, compared to the previous projection of 500,000 tons…Traders also point to China as the likely buyer behind hundreds of thousands of tons that the USDA lists as going to “unknown destinations.” “The increase in Chinese imports is likely lagging what is really going to happen,” said Joel Karlin, analyst for Western Milling, a producer of animal feed in California. The USDA left its estimates for export to China in the current crop year, which ends Aug. 31, unchanged at 1.5 million metric tons…

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to read this story in detail.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for the regulation of American agricultural matters. This agency routinely publishes information related to the state of the American agricultural sector. It would appear that the rising demand from China for American agricultural products is not set to diminish anytime in the immediate future. The Chinese-American trade relationship is often noted for the fact that China exports a large amount of manufactured goods to America, but it seems as though less attention is paid to the amount of agricultural products which America provides to China. One issue on this blogger’s mind is the impact that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) might have upon the demand for American agricultural products. As this regional grouping becomes increasingly geopolitically and economically potent it stands to reason that demand for agricultural products from the ASEAN jurisdictions (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam) may be on the rise. Hopefully any and all of these developments prove to be a boon to America’s farmers and agricultural community.

For information pertaining to same sex marriage recognition please see: Full Faith and Credit Clause.

For information related to American company registration please see: US Company Registration.

Tags: American States, ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, certainty, China, Chinese-American trade, corn exports, corn imports, CR-1 Visa, CR1 Visa, Defense of Marriage Act, Dirksen Senate Office Building, District of Columbia, DOMA, ethanol, Full Faith and Credit Clause, Indonesia, IR-1 Visa, IR1 Visa, Joel Karlin, K-1 Visa, K1 Visa, Laos, legal discrimination, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Representative Jerrold Nadler, Representative Mike Honda, Respect for Marriage Act, Reuniting Families Act, same sex civil union, Same Sex Marriage, same sex marriages, Same Sex Partner, Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Patrick Leahy, Singapore, Sino-American trade, Thailand, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, United States of America, US Company Registration, USDA, Vietnam, Western Milling
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, China Business, same sex visa | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the American Armed Forces has apparently traveled to China for talks with leaders in that nation. In order to provide some insight into these developments it is best to quote directly from the official Voice of America website, VOANews.com:

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, began a four-day visit to China Sunday for talks with top leaders and high-ranking military officials…Mullen said he will discuss stalled nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, the Taiwan issue, U.S.-China relations, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and other matters. The admiral is in China at the invitation of Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde…

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read this article in detail.

It would appear as though American personnel and Chinese officials are undertaking efforts to discuss sensitive and significant issues which pertain to China, the United States, and possibly the Greater Asia-Pacific region. The ramifications of such discussions could have an impact not only upon US and Chinese policy, but also upon the policies adopted by the member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, which includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam), the so-called BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), or APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) members. Hopefully the meetings noted above will result in benefits for all concerned.

In matters pertaining to ASEAN it would appear as though that organization will be holding discussions with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) in order to share ideas regarding a framework for cooperation. To provide detailed information to the reader it is best to quote directly from the Oman Daily Observer website OmanObserver.om:

SALALAH — The Sultanate will host today deliberations of the first meeting of the working team of economic and trade co-operation between the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and Asean states at the level of experts and specialists. The two-day meeting, which will be held here, will discuss a framework agreement for the economic, commercial and investment co-operation, steps to start free trade negotiations between the two sides after the completion of studies and means of exploring investment opportunities on each other’s sides in the fields of construction, services and infrastructure…

This blogger asks readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read about this situation further.

Anytime trade negotiations commence it should be noted that well-drafted trade agreements can have a dramatic and positive impact upon the economies in the jurisdictions which engage in such frameworks. That stated, a well drafted free trade agreement takes time to craft and often comes about only after a relatively protracted period of negotiation. Therefore, those interested in seeing positive developments which further sustainable trade are likely to wait while an acceptable agreement is forged. In a previous posting on this blog it was noted that an American Senator recently proposed a US-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in order to facilitate further trade between the United States of America and the collection of nations which compose the membership of ASEAN. Hopefully all of these proposals culminate in beneficial trade circumstances in the future.

For information related to legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: Admiral Mike Mullen, APEC, ASEAN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Brazil, BRICS, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, China, Chinese Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde, GCC, Gulf Co-operation Council, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, nuclear disarmament talks, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South China Sea, Taiwan, Thailand, U.S.-China relations, US-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, US-ASEAN FTA, Vietnam
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, News, Thailand Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the United States Bankruptcy Courts may soon be hearing cases involving bankruptcy petitions for couples who have entered into a same sex marriage. In order to provide further insight it is prudent to quote directly from the official website of the Reuters News Service, Reuters.com:

The U.S. Justice Department has dropped its opposition to joint bankruptcy petitions filed by same-sex married couples in a victory for supporters of gay marriage. The policy change is the latest setback for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which has come under increasing pressure since the Obama administration said in February that it would no longer defend its constitutionality. Until now, the Justice Department had routinely intervened to stop joint bankruptcy cases filed by same-sex couples. The Department’s position had been that the bankruptcy code only allows joint filings by opposite-sex spouses as defined under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage. In an unexpected turnabout, the department on Wednesday filed a request to withdraw its appeal in one such case. Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler confirmed the policy change in an e-mail to Reuters on Thursday. “The Department of Justice has informed bankruptcy courts that it will no longer seek dismissal of bankruptcy petitions filed jointly by same-sex debtors who are married under state law,” she wrote…

The administration of this web log encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to read this interesting article by Terry Baynes which was edited by Cynthia Johnston.

Although the main thrust of this blog is not centered upon the discussion of federal bankruptcy issues, this change in policy to recognize those same sex couples married under State law is certainly a victory for advocates of LGBT Equality. Concurrently, it is also a victory for proponents of States’ Rights, a doctrine which holds many of the prerogatives and laws of the States in high regard relative to those of the federal government of the United States of America. Meanwhile, advocates for full LGBT Equality must continue to wait for full legal recognition of equal rights until such time as the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) is either repealed, replaced with legislation similar to the Respect for Marriage Act, or amended in such a way that true equality under the law is granted for the individuals involved while the prerogatives of the sovereign American States are respected. Something perhaps akin to the doctrine of “certainty” enshrined in the provisions of the Respect for Marriage Act noted above.

In an American immigration context, it should be noted that members of the LGBT community cannot be granted the same visa benefits in the same manner as other communities since same sex bi-national couples are not able to obtain travel documents such as the CR-1 visa, the IR-1 visa, or the K-1 visa in the same way as their different-sex counterparts. Therefore until such time as DOMA is repealed this situation is unlikely to change. In the event that legislation such as the Respect for Marriage Act, the Reuniting Families Act, or the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) is enacted by the Congress and signed into law by the President then a same sex bi-national couple may be able to petition for US immigration benefits for their spouse or fiance. As of the time of this writing, such a scenario is not yet feasible.

In news related to China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) it recently came to this blogger’s attention that tensions appear to be subsiding with respect to the various issues surrounding the South China Sea. This assessment is made based upon apparent announcements from the Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario.  To provide more information it is necessary to quote directly from the website of Business World Online, BWorldOnline.com:

BEIJING –FOREIGN AFFAIRS Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on Friday said he and ranking Chinese officials agreed to settle the territorial dispute in the South China Sea through guidelines agreed upon by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) almost a decade ago.Mr. Del Rosario, who talked to foreign journalists at the St. Regis Hotel near the Philippine embassy, said “yes” when asked if his two-day visit was a success, adding that both side have renewed their commitment to bring stability in the area amid recent tensions. “The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to respect and abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and the ASEAN member countries in 2002,” Mr. del Rosario said, referring to his meeting with Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. “Both ministers agreed to further strengthen the bonds and friendship and cooperation between the two countries and to fully implement the Joint Action Plan,” he added. “Both ministers exchanged views on the maritime disputes and agreed not to let the maritime disputes affect the broader picture of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” Mr. del Rosario further said…The South China Sea, which hosts the oil-rich Spratly Islands, has been claimed in part or wholly by Brunei Darrusalam, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. In a conference in Manila late this week, foreign policy experts called for a binding agreement among Spratly claimants to resolve conflicting positions…[sic]

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read this insightful article by Darwin T. Wee.

As can be gathered from the excerpt noted above, there have been many geopolitical facets to the South China Sea dispute, but one notable aspect of this developing situation is that the parties have a seemingly genuine desire to deal with the matter reasonably and and peacefully. Hopefully this attitude will continue and these issues can be resolved to the benefit of all concerned.

At the time of this writing, China continues to show signs of increasing economic and political strength. These developments come amidst news that Malaysia has maintained trade discussions with various African and Islamic nations while simultaneously playing a role within ASEAN. At the same time, circumstances in the so-called BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have lead many to believe that all of these jurisdiction will show further economic flourish in the future. Vietnam and Taiwan are dealing with rather new issues as they find themselves confronting the rest of the world on somewhat different terms compared to times past. These developments have both positive and negative ramifications for these jurisdictions, but the overall economic and political forecasts for all of these places appears bright.

As the aforementioned dispute appears to be moving toward a resolution it is hoped that further disputes can be handled using some sort of framework which provides efficiency in adjudicating issues while simultaneously operating on terms which all parties concerned can agree upon.

For information related to same sex marriage and the intersection between State and federal law please see: Full Faith and Credit Clause.

For information pertaining to legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, bankruptcy courts, Brunei Darrusalam, China, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, constitutionality, CR-1 Visa, CR1 Visa, Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Defense of Marriage Act, dismissal of bankruptcy petitions filed jointly by same-sex debtors, DOMA, gay marriage, IR-1 Visa, IR1 Visa, Joint Action Plan, Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler, K-1 Visa, K1 Visa, LGBT community, lgbt immigration, lgbt visa, LGBT Wedding, Malaysia, maritime disputes, married under state law, Obama Administration, opposite-sex spouses, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Respect for Marriage Act, Reuniting Families Act, Same Sex Bi-National Couple, Same Sex Bi-National Couples, same sex civil union, Same Sex Immigration, Same Sex Marriage, same sex visa, Same Sex Wedding, same-sex married couples, South China Sea, Spratly Islands, States' Rights, Taiwan, the Philippines, U.S. Justice Department, uafa, Uniting American Families Act, Vietnam
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, Editorial, News, Opinion, same sex visa | No Comments »

It recently came to this bloggers attention that important events may be transpiring with respect to China. In order to shed light upon these developments it may be best to quote directly from a recent business brief posted on the official website of the Taipei Times, TaipeiTimes.com:

China alters foreign cargo law. China will ban foreign companies, organizations and individuals from irregular-scheduled cargo sea transportation from Jan 1 next year, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement on its Web site on Wednesday.

The administration of this blog encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to gain further insight and up to date business news pertaining to China as well as Taiwan.

This news could have implications not only for businesses headquartered in Taiwan, but also for businesses in the United States of America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well. When countries change rules regarding cargo shipments there could be dramatic ramifications economically, financially, and geopolitically. Hopefully the news above will not have an adverse impact upon actors conducting trade at this time or in the future.

In somewhat related news it was noted that a there may be a Chinese Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). To further enlighten this audience it may be prudent to quote directly from the official website of the China Post, ChinaPost.com.tw:

WASHINGTON — China is close to clinching a top-level post at the International Monetary Fund, IMF sources said on Wednesday after the Fund’s new chief pledged to give more power to emerging economies. They said Min Zhu, a Chinese national who was a special adviser to former IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was expected to fill a new deputy managing director post to be created by the Fund’s new chief, Christine Lagarde. “Min Zhu is expected to be named to deputy managing director,” an IMF board member told Reuters. The appointment, which would give China one of the top five management jobs at the Fund, would first need the approval of the 24-member IMF board of member countries…

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to learn more on this unfolding situation.

Matters pertaining to the IMF are generally considered newsworthy for the business community around the globe as policymakers at that institution can have an impact upon the international economy. Although it remains to be seen whether Min Zhu will ultimately be named to the aforementioned position these developments are certainly noteworthy. Frequent readers of this blog may have taken notice of the fact that in a previous posting on this blog the possibility of a non-Western Deputy Director was discussed even though at that time it was less certain where the prospective Deputy Director would hail from. Since the United States and virtually all of the ASEAN nations currently maintain some sort of trade relationship with China these developments may prove important from multiple perspectives.

For information related to conducting business in the USA please see: US Company Registration.

For information pertaining to legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, China Business News, China News, Chinese Deputy Managing Director, Chinese Ministry of Transport, Christine Lagarde, customs law, foreign cargo law, former IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF board of member countries, international law, International Monetary Fund, irregular-scheduled cargo sea transportation, Min Zhu, Top 5 Management Jobs At IMF, trade law, United States of America, US, USA
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business | No Comments »

Inflation can be concerning for countries around the globe. In that vein, it recently came to this blogger’s attention that officials in China have apparently decided to raise an important interest rate. For further insight it is necessary to quote directly from the official website of USA Today, USAToday.com:

BEIJING — China raised a key interest rate Wednesday for a third time this year as it tries to cool surging inflation. The benchmark rate for one-year loans will be raised 0.25 percentage points to 6.56%, effective Thursday, the central bank announced. The rate paid on deposits will rise a similar margin to 3.5%. Inflation hit a 34-month high of 5.5% in May and is believed to have risen in June even as an overheated economy cools gradually under the pressure of investment curbs and other controls…

The administration of this blog asks readers to click upon the appropriate hyperlink noted above in order to read this insightful article in full.

In recent months it would seem as though China has had some difficulty controlling inflation. It would appear that the decision noted above has been made in an attempt to reign in rising inflation. In a previous posting on this blog it was noted that economic officials in the Southeast Asian nations of Laos and Cambodia have commented upon the likelihood that inflation would increase in those countries moving forward. Clearly, there exists an overall trend of inflation around the globe, but it remains to be seen whether governmental efforts will be successful in mitigating the ramifications of this economic force.

In related economic news, it appears that officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are poised to meet with business leaders from the nation of Japan. To shed light upon these unfolding events it may be prudent to quote directly from Yahoo News Singapore at Yahoo.com:

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) — The Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN (FJCCIA) will hold its fourth annual dialogue with the Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, here on Friday. During the dialogue, they will exchange views on tackling business issues associated with Asean”s on-going economic integration, said Takehide Teranishi…

This blogger encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read about this situation in detail.

In a previous posting on this blog it was noted that the ASEAN community had sent a goodwill mission to Japan in response to events which transpired as a result of the tragic Earthquake in March of this year. As Japan remains a substantial economic force in both an Asian and global context it remains an important trading center. Therefore, other countries such as the United States, those within the ASEAN region (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam), and even the so-called BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) seek to maintain strong trade relations with Japan. Hopefully economic benefits derived from the discussions noted above will accrue to the economies of all concerned.

For information regarding legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN Business News, Asian Business News, Asian Economic News, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Brazil, BRICS, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Economic News, Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN, India, Indonesia, inflation, key interest rate, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat, Singapore, South Africa, Takehide Teranishi, Thailand, Vietnam
Posted in ASEAN Business, Cambodia Business, China Business, Laos Business, Malaysia Business, News, Thailand Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that media outlets around the globe are discussing the pending elections in the Kingdom of Thailand. In order to provide more insight into these developments it may be best to quote directly from the official website of Channel News Asia, ChannelNewsAsia.com

BANGKOK – Thailand votes on Sunday in a closely fought election seen as pivotal to the future of the deeply divided kingdom, after years of political deadlock and often bloody street protests. The poll is the first major electoral test for the government since mass opposition rallies paralysed Bangkok last year, scaring away foreign tourists and sparking a military crackdown that left about 90 people dead. Now the tense vote could herald a comeback for fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his political allies…

This blogger encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to learn more on this story.

Politics in Thailand can have ramifications for the economy and the business community. Meanwhile, developments in Thailand can have reverberations throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This regional grouping is currently having a substantial regional and global impact upon geopolitics. Also, this organization’s ascendancy comes at the same time as international commentators discuss the increasing significance of the so-called BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). China has also received a great deal of international coverage recently as that nation’s Communist Party celebrated the 90 year anniversary of the Party’s founding. To quote directly from the official website of the Hindustan Times, HindustanTimes.com:

The world’s largest political party, in charge of the world’s fastest-growing economy, marked its 90th anniversary with a prolonged campaign of revolutionary Mao-era lyrics sung in schools, universities and parks. Television stations pulled out soaps and crime shows to air red propaganda. Employees of state-owned companies were told to troop into cinema halls to ensure that the film Founding of the Party, made with 108 actors, could claim blockbuster status…

This blogger asks readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read this insightful article written by Reshma Patil.

As noted previously on this web log, China is becoming an ever more important player in the international economic arena as that nation’s Premier was recently noted for making a trip to Europe and the United Kingdom. In related news it was noted that China has previously announced plans to construct a high speed rail system to connect Southern China with the Thai city of Bangkok. It would appear that a plan is also in place to construct a large Chinese Trading Complex in the Bangkok metropolitan area. How such developments will play out in the future remains to be seen.

For related information please see: Thailand Company.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN news, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations News, Bangkok, Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Bangkok News, BRICS, BRICS News, China, China News, Chinese Trading Complex, foreign tourists, Founding of the Party, high speed rail, high speed rail system, Thailand, Thailand company, Thailand News, Thailand Poll, Thailand Vote, Thaksin Shinawatra, world's largest political party
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, Thailand Business | No Comments »

It would appear as though the United States and China have wound down their recent bi-lateral discussions concerning the Asia-Pacific region. To provide further insight it may be best to quote directly from the official website of Xinhua, Xinhuanet.com:

China and the United States rounded off their round of consultations on Asian-Pacific affairs in the U.S. state of Hawaii on Saturday, thus opening a new channel of bilateral communications on issues concerning the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region. The Hawaii consultations, part of their efforts the materialize consensus reached by the two sides upon in their latest round of strategic and economic talks this May, were initiated to promote cooperation and understanding between the world’s top two economies in the Asia-Pacific region where they both have vital interests in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity... [sic]

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read this story in detail as it is rather insightful. In the previous posting on this web log it was noted that high ranking American diplomats had been engaged in discussions with Chinese officials. It would seem as though these discussion have been positive. It is also noteworthy that the aforementioned article also noted American engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to quote further: 

Meanwhile, Washington is trying to reinforce its engagement with many organizations in the region, for instance, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). U.S. President Barack Obama also declared he would attend the East Asia summit in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia late this year.

These events are certainly hopeful for the Asia-Pacific region and they appear to be transpiring virtually in tandem with a recent visit by the Chinese Premier to the United Kingdom which has apparently been followed by a trip to Europe. While on this trip, the Chinese Premier appears to have made some statements regarding China’s investments in Europe. To provide further insight into these developments it may be wise to quote directly from an article written by Malcolm Moore and posted to the official website of The Telegraph, Telegraph.co.uk:

Yesterday, at the start of his European visit in Hungary, Mr Wen gave a strong pledge of China’s support for the embattled euro, saying that China will buy Hungarian government bonds and “consistently” support the euro as Europe attempts to fight its way out of a sovereign debt crisis. “China is a long term investor in Europe’s sovereign debt market,” he said at a press conference with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. “In recent years we have increased by quite a big margin our holdings of government bonds. We will consistently continue to support Europe and the euro.”

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to find out further details.

As has been noted previously on this blog, the ascension of the Chinese economy relative to the other economies of the world is having a global impact as Chinese polices can have ramifications in both Asia and Europe, virtually simultaneously. China’s future policies and decisions remain to be seen, but one thing is clear: when China moves, the world watches.

For information regarding legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN Business News, ASEAN news, Asia-Pacific, Asia-Pacific region, Asian-Pacific affairs, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations News, China, East Asia Summit, Euro, Europe, government bonds, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary, Indonesia, Jakarta, sovereign debt crisis, State of Hawaii, The Hawaii consultations, U.S. President Barack Obama, UK
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, News | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the United States Customs and Border Protection Service (USCBP) may have witnessed what would appear to have been an inadvertent breach of the American border by a convoy of Mexican troops. In order to provide further insight into these developments it may be prudent to quote directly from the official website of the NBC affiliate KGNS-TV at Pro8News.com:

A convoy of three military trucks loaded with Mexican soldiers crosses the border at Bridge Number Two clearly violating  international law. It happens as Customs and Border Protection inspectors try to figure out what to do. A CBP spokesperson says they got on the phone with Mexican authorities after being alerted that the military trucks were heading their direction loaded down with soldiers and weapons. Mexican leaders say the soldiers, who had just been deployed to Nuevo Laredo, didn’t know the area, got lost and then made their way through Bridge Two. It’s important to note that CBP did not tell us about the potentially serious situation. It came from another law enforcement agency…

This blogger strongly encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to learn more from this informative article as well as the video coverage of this event.

Readers may be taken somewhat aback upon learning of some of these events as it is not everyday that Americans see such developments. That stated, this blogger would feel somewhat remiss if he failed to bring up a  similar incident which occurred in Spain a little over 9 years ago, if only to provide some perspective. To quote directly from a 2002 article posted on the official website of CNN, CNN.com:

British troops temporarily invaded Spain when a landing exercise on Gibraltar went wrong. About 20 Royal Marines landed in bad weather on a Spanish beach, thinking they were on British territory. They hastily retreated after locals told them of their error… Spain’s foreign ministry played down the incident as a harmless error that would not undermine negotiations aimed at resolving the Gibraltar issue…

Those interested in the full details of the aforementioned event are encouraged to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to ascertain the whole story.

Clearly, even in an international context, accidents can happen. Inadvertent mistakes can occur. Hopefully these events will be a lesson to America’s public servants about the need to anticipate unexpected events. This blogger must state that in all of his rather limited dealings with USCBP personnel they have comported themselves in a very professional manner. To be candid, USCBP has one of the more difficult jobs in all of the pantheon of American civil service as their responsibilities place USCBP officers in situations where they encounter the most unexpected events (as can be seen from the aforementioned quotation). It is likely hoped that these circumstances will provide insight to future officers. On a side note: unless there has been some very recent change of which this blogger is unaware, the United States Customs and Border Protection Service (USCBP) currently chairs the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Sub-committee on Customs Procedures. This post was handed off from the Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau in September of last year.

In somewhat related news it recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Foreign Minister of Singapore has noted his belief that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may have a role in dealing with tensions arising in the South China Sea. To quote directly from the website of Channel News Asia, ChannelNewsAsia.com:

INDONESIA: Singapore said ASEAN can play a role managing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The resource rich waters are being claimed – in part or all – by a number of ASEAN countries, as well as China and Taiwan. Tensions recently escalated between the Philippines and China over overlapping claims. Singapore’s Foreign Minister K Shanmugam said all parties must learn to resolve these occasional incidences, without increasing tension…

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the appropriate hyperlinks above to read this story in detail.

Clearly, the nations which compose ASEAN (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam) are going to be increasingly important in any international dialogue pertaining to the South China Sea. The news noted above comes amidst developing news regarding talks between the United States and China. It would appear as though one of the main objectives of these talks is the maintenance of freedom of navigation at sea. However, maintaining such freedom can often require timely discussions especially in geographic areas with a history of tension. To quote further from ChannelNewsAsia.com:

HONOLULU, Hawaii : The United States and China were holding first-of-a-kind talks Saturday on rising tensions in the South China Sea, with Beijing angry over Washington’s support of Southeast Asian countries. Senior officials of the Pacific powers were meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, days after the United States rallied behind the Philippines and Vietnam which have been alarmed at what they see as Beijing’s growing assertiveness at sea. Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said ahead of the talks that he would make clear to China the “strong principles” of the United States in defence of freedom of navigation…[sic]

This blogger encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks above to learn more.

Disputes occurring on the high seas can sometimes have implications for virtually every country around the world. As Southeast Asian nations continue to thrive and expand both in a domestic economic context as well as in an international economic context it stands to reason that their growth may be concerning to other jurisdictions in Asia. Meanwhile, the increasing prominence of the so-called BRICS countries in an international context has raised discussion regarding the geopolitical complexion of the future global economy. Hopefully, discussions pertaining to all of these matters will yield tangible benefits for the people who could be most impacted by events occurring in this region.

For information about conducting business in the United States of America please see: US Company Registration.

For information about legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: APEC, ASEAN, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Sub-committee on Customs Procedures, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, BRICS, Bridge Two, Britain, British territory, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Customs and Border Protection inspectors, first-of-a-kind talks, Gibraltar, Indonesia, international law, Kurt Campbell, Laos, Malaysia, Mexican soldiers, Mexico, Myanmar, Nuevo Laredo, Pacific powers, Philippines, Singapore, Singapore's Foreign Minister K Shanmugam, South China Sea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United States Customs and Border Protection Service, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Vietnam
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, News, US Mission ASEAN, USCBP, Vietnam Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that American federal legislators appear poised to introduce legislation aimed at legalizing marijuana in an intra-State context (although there do appear to be measures in place to deal with the possibility of inter-State smuggling and issues associated therewith). To provide better perspective on this issue it may be best to quote directly from Yahoo News Canada at Yahoo.com:

A group of US representatives plan to introduce legislation that will legalize marijuana and allow states to legislate its use, pro-marijuana groups said Wednesday. The legislation would limit the federal government’s role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or inter-state smuggling, and allow people to legally grow, use or sell marijuana in states where it is legal. The bill, which is expected to be introduced on Thursday by Republican Representative Ron Paul and Democratic Representative Barney Frank, would be the first ever legislation designed to end the federal ban on marijuana. Sixteen of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes…

Readers are strongly encouraged to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to learn more about these developments. Readers are also prudent to note that as of the time of this writing, marijuana is either illegal or its usage is highly restricted in many jurisdictions around the globe. Those Americans interested in learning more about such matters are encouraged to contact a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction. Readers should further note that usage of marijuana is strictly prohibited in the Kingdom of Thailand.

These developments are interesting as it would appear that the real impetus behind this legislative move stems from what would appear to be a genuine bi-partisan desire on the part of legislators to find new sources of tax revenue at the State and federal levels while simultaneously relaxing restrictive regulations that diminish the civil liberties of the American Citizenry. Readers are asked to recall that Representative Barney Frank has been a proponent of a more permissive regulatory structure pertaining to online gaming. Meanwhile, Representative Ron Paul has been an ardent advocate for American civil, individual, and States’ Rights for a number of years. It will be interesting how this proposed legislation fares in the nation’s Congress.

Although seemingly unrelated to the developments in the United States, officials on the island of Taiwan have recently noted that there is to be a relaxation of restrictions placed upon tourists coming to that location from Mainland China. In order to place these developments in context it may be prudent to quote directly from the website News.com.au:

TAIWAN has lifted a decades-old ban on travel to the island by individual Chinese tourists, saying visitors would act as “peace ambassadors” for the former arch foe. The first batch of independent mainland tourists, from Beijing, Shanghai and the city of Xiamen on the southeast coast, were expected to arrive next Tuesday, local media reported. Travel between the island and mainland stopped at the end of the civil war in 1949, and mainland tourists have so far only been allowed to visit Taiwan in groups due to official concerns they might otherwise overstay their visas and work illegally…

The administration of this blog recommends that readers click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to learn more details on this developing story.

Clearly, intra-China tourism is likely to increase revenue and commerce for all concerned. As noted previously on this blog, China continues to show signs that there will be significant economic growth moving forward. It stands to reason that such growth may have beneficial consequences for other jurisdictions in the region as Chinese tourists travel to other locales and Chinese businesses trade and increase their presence in foreign venues. Hopefully these developments will be an economic boon to the Taiwanese economy.

For information related to pending legislation in the United States please see: Uniting American Families Act or Respect for Marriage Act.

For information related to legal services in Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: Beijing, China, China Business, China News, Chinese tourists, Civil Liberties, civil rights, Democratic Representative Barney Frank, licensed attorney, marijuana law, marijuana legislation, Online Gaming, peace ambassadors, Peoples' Republic of China, PRC, Republic of China, Republican Representative Ron Paul, ROC, Shanghai, States' Rights, Taiwan, Taiwan Business, Taiwan News, Travel To China, Travel To Taiwan, United States Congress, US representatives, Xiamen
Posted in American Business, American Institute Taiwan, China Business, News, Online Gaming, Opinion, States' Rights, US Constitution | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that it appears Malaysia (a member nation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN) will not be hosting other ASEAN nations at the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID). To provide further insight it may be best to quote directly from an article written by M. Saraswathi and posted on the website Bernama.com:

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) — There are no plans to include Asean nations in the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID) as it will be too big to manage, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today. Malaysia would maintain the present dialogue format between the African and Caribbean countries, he said. “No. We don’t want too many countries to be involved. We will maintain the present format of African and Caribbean countries,” he said when asked if Malaysia intends to include Asean countries in LID at a press conference here today. This year’s dialogue is being attended by African leaders such as Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili of Lesotho, Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso, Ugandan Vice-President Edward Sekandi and Kenyan Vice-President Stephen Kalonzo…

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the appropriate hyperlinks noted above to learn more from this insightful article.

In this blogger’s opinion, one of the positive aspects of the ASEAN community, for the membership, is a sort of general flexibility. It could be inferred from the quotation above that Malaysia has a strong trade relationship with certain countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Such relationships make the Malaysian economy rather unique compared to her other counterparts in the ASEAN community. This uniqueness would seem to create various levels of comparative advantage for the Malaysian economy. Concurrently, the other jurisdictions of ASEAN (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) are able to receive a kind of refractive benefit from Malaysia’s strong trade relations in Africa and the Caribbean since ASEAN nations are able to streamline their direct trading with Malaysia herself. How ASEAN will evolve in the future remains to be seen, but it is clear that ASEAN is quite unique amongst the various regional organizations around the globe. Hopefully, this uniqueness will result in tangible benefits for the citizenry of the various ASEAN countries and for ASEAN’s trading partners as well.

On a related note, China was in the news recently as it is being reported that China is expanding her foreign reserves into non-dollar denominated assets. To shed further light upon these developments it may be best to quote directly from an article written by Jamil Anderlini and Tracy Alloway and posted to the Financial Times website, FT.com:

China began diversifying away from the US dollar in earnest in the first four months of this year, most likely by buying far more European government debt than US dollar assets, according to estimates from Standard Chartered Bank. China’s foreign exchange reserves expanded by around $200bn in the first four months of the year, with three-quarters of the new inflow invested abroad in non-US dollar assets, the bank estimated. “It certainly appears that China’s finally following through on its policy to diversify its foreign reserve holdings away from the US dollar,” said Stephen Green, the bank’s chief China economist.

This blogger asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to find out further details. Frequent readers of this web log may recall that the United States and China are apparently cooperating with regard to ASEAN engagement, but this news came amidst announcements that China had divested rather sizable holdings in US Treasuries. As China continues to show further economic dominance on the global stage it will likely prove interesting to see how this nation invests her financial resources. Hopefully as China and ASEAN continue their economic growth it will accrue to the benefit of all concerned.

For information related to immigration from Asia please see: K1 Visa Thailand or Legal.

Tags: Africa, ASEAN, ASEAN news, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations News, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam News, Burma, Burma News, Cambodia, Cambodia news, Caribbean, China, China News, Indonesia, Indonesia News, Kenyan Vice-President Stephen Kalonzo, Langkawi International Dialogue, Laos, Laos news, LID, Malaysia, Malaysia News, Myanmar, Myanmar News, non-US dollar assets, Philippines, Philippines News, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili of Lesotho, Singapore, Singapore News, Standard Chartered Bank, Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso, Thailand, Thailand News, Ugandan Vice-President Edward Sekandi, US Treasuries, Vietnam, Vietnam News, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe
Posted in ASEAN Business, Cambodia Business, China Business, Laos Business, Malaysia Business, Myanmar (Burma) Business, Thailand Business | No Comments »