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It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan are engaged in bilateral discussions. To provide further insight into these developments it may be best to quote directly from an article written by Maqbool Malik and posted on the official website of The Nation (Pakistan), Nation.com.pk:

ISLAMABAD – The top diplomats of Pakistan and India held their first formal peace talks in two-and-a-half years with a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday to nudge forward the process that has proved slow-moving, at best. But after Thursday’s interaction, the mood on both the sides clearly showed that diplomats have discovered certain patches of common ground. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir led Pakistani side while Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao led her delegation in the first round of foreign secretary-level talks, which lasted for over seven hours…

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

India and Pakistan are often discussed in the context of geopolitical tension as the history surrounding these countries is both complex and, in some cases, rather troubling. That stated, these discussion provide some hope to those interested in world affairs that the differences between India and Pakistan can be resolved amicably. Hopefully these talks will garner benefits for the people of both Pakistan as well as India.

Meanwhile, this news comes upon the heels of recent projections by Citigroup showing that the Indian economy is poised for a great deal of economic expansion in the future. To provide further insight it is necessary to quote directly from a recent article written by Patrick Allen and posted to the official website of CNBC, CNBC.com:

In less than 40 years India will overtake the US as the world’s second-largest trading nation, pushing today’s superpower into third place and Europe in to the little leagues, according to a new report by Citi. “According to our projections, world trade in goods and services will grow from $37 trillion in 2010 to $149 trillion in 2030 and $371 trillion in 2050,” Citigroup’s William Buiter and Ebrahim Rahbari wrote in a research note released on Thursday. “But at least as interesting as the growth in world trade that we forecast are the changes in its composition that we expect over the course of the next four decades, with today’s emerging markets set to gain much more prominence in world trade relative to advanced economies,” they added.

This blogger recommends that readers click upon the relevant links above to read this story in full.

Although most commentators on geopolitics international economics look at China when discussing future economic expansion in Asia, the nations of both India and Pakistan should not be overlooked in such an analysis. Both of these countries have the potential for significant economic growth in the future. Those interested in such matters are encouraged to conduct further research to form a cogent opinion of these current events. Reader may note that India is one of the so-called BRICS countries. This grouping of nations has been in the media a great deal recently as circumstances develop therein.

For information regarding legal services in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) please see: Legal.

Tags: 40 years, ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, BRICS, China, Citigroup, Citigroup's Ebrahim Rahbari, Citigroup’s William Buiter, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, foreign secretary-level talks, India, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Islamabad, Pakistan, world trade
Posted in India 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 »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the nations of China and India have made arrangements to resume military exchanges. In order to provide further insight to the reader it may be best to quote directly from the Associated Press on the official website of Yahoo, Yahoo.com:

BEIJING – An Indian general led a delegation to Beijing on Sunday as the two countries moved to resume exchanges between their militaries after a yearlong freeze. Maj. Gen. Gurmeet Singh and seven accompanying officers arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a weeklong visit that will also include meetings with Chinese counterparts and stops in the business and shipping hub of Shanghai and the far-northwestern territory of Xinjiang. Such exchanges were suspended by India last year in protest over China’s decision to issue visas to Indians from disputed Kashmir in the form of a document stapled into their passports rather than a stamp. The decision appeared to question the legitimacy of Indian rule in Kashmir and was considered a concession to Pakistan, India’s arch rival with which China maintains close ties…

Readers are encouraged to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read this story in full.

It is not difficult to infer that a resumption of military exchanges between China and India could have ramifications for virtually all countries around the world, at least to some degree. This is certainly important information for those who live in either India or China. The same could also be said for those living in Greater Asia as the resumption of military exchanges could have an impact upon the geopolitics of the whole continent. Meanwhile, those living in one of the jurisdictions which comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are prudent to note these developments as both of these countries are likely to be increasingly important trading partners with that organization in the future. Furthermore, it should be noted that China and India are currently associated with the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) grouping of countries which many consider to be of increasing importance on the world stage.

With ASEAN in mind, the reader should note that China and India are not the only jurisdictions that are engaging in military exchanges as it recently came to this blogger’s attention that the United States Navy is conducting a naval exercise in conjunction with some of the ASEAN member states. To quote directly from an article written by Gilbert P. Felongco and posted on the official website of GulfNews.com:

Manila: The US Navy is conducting a naval exercise with its forces from the five member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid rising tensions in the troubled South China Sea. Dubbed the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (Seacat) 2011, the drills were launched last Tuesday in the Malacca Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea and will run until Friday…The drills will focus on real-time information exchange, coordinated surveillance operations, tracking, and eventual conduct of visit, board, search and seizure operation, he said…

Those reading this web log are strongly encouraged to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to learn more on this developing story.

The United States Armed Forces have been known to conduct exercises in many places and it would appear that the exercise noted above is designed to coordinate efforts between ASEAN members and the United States. Readers in the Kingdom of Thailand may note that the United States routinely works with the Thai military in undertaking exercises such as Operation Cobra Gold. Hopefully all such endeavors will accrue to the benefit of all concerned in the USA, Thailand, ASEAN, China, India, and Greater Asia.

For information related to doing business in Thailand please see: Legal.

Tags: American News, ASEAN news, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Beijing, Brazil, BRICS, BRICS News, Celebes Sea, China, China News, India, India News, Kashmir, Maj. Gen. Gurmeet Singh, Malacca Strait, military exchanges, Pakistan, Philippines News, Russia, Seacat, South Africa, South China Sea, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training, Sulu Sea, Thailand News, United States Armed Forces, United States Navy, US News, Xinjiang
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, Brazil Business, Cambodia Business, China Business, India Business, Laos Business, Malaysia Business, Myanmar (Burma) Business, Russia Business, South Africa Business, Thailand Business, US Mission ASEAN, Vietnam Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Chinese President has traveled to the nation of Russia for a State visit. It would appear as though this meeting is intended to facilitate greater cooperation between these two important countries. In order to provide further insight it may be best to quote directly from the People’s Daily Online, PeopleDaily.com.cn:

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a state visit aimed at deepening pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia. Hu said in a statement released upon his arrival at the airport that his visit intends to inject fresh impetus into the sustained, healthy and stable growth of the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation…

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

It is clear that China is becoming an increasingly significant player in the realm of geopolitics, international economics, and finance. Meanwhile, Russia remains a key player in both the European region and also in Northern Asia. Both of these countries have substantial economies. Therefore, the ramifications of Sino-Russian policies could impact the United States of America, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the broader Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the time of this writing it remains to be seen whether this meeting will culminate in tangible results, but certainly it is important for those interested in Russo-Chinese relations. The reader may be interested to note that there have been recent announcements that a large Chinese Trading Complex is to be erected in Bangkok, Thailand.

The news about the Chinese President’s trip comes at the same time as an announcement in Britain regarding a new financial policy  that some are referring to as a “British Glass-Steagall” (an allusion to an American piece of legislation of the same name).  To shed further light upon this issue it may be best to quote directly from Yahoo Finance at Yahoo.com:

Finance minister George Osborne announced a major overhaul of Britain’s banks, approving a separation of their retail and investment businesses to help avoid another global financial crisis. In a high-profile address to finance leaders in central London, Osborne also announced that Northern Rock would be privatised three years after it was nationalised to save it from collapse as the global financial crisis hit. Osborne backed the findings of the government-appointed Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) which earlier this year called for a “ring-fencing” of retail businesses. “Today I have told the Commission that the government endorses both these proposals in principle… We will make these changes to banking to protect taxpayers in the future,” he said.

This blogger asks readers to click on the hyperlinks above to read this article in full.

Although geographically small, financial events that transpire in the United Kingdom can have a substantial effect upon the global economy as a whole. This statement is also true in the context of Asia as events (particularly in the financial realm) transpiring in the UK have implications for Asian jurisdictions. Hopefully the newly proposed measures will have a beneficial impact upon the British economy as well as the other economies around the world.

For related information please see: Thailand Company Registration.

Tags: ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, British Glass-Steagall, China, Chinese Trading Complex, Finance minister George Osborne, Hu Jintao, Independent Commission on Banking, investment banking, Nationalization, Northern Rock, Privatization, retail banking, Russia, Russo-Chinese relations, Sino-Russian relations, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
Posted in American Business, China Business, Russia Business, Thailand Business, US Embassy China, US Embassy Russia | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Southeast Asian nation of Laos has seen something of a change in government. In order to provide further insight on this topic it may be prudent to quote directly from the website TMCNet.com:

VIENTIANE, Jun 16, 2011 (The Nation – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — Lao People’s Revolutionary Party chief Choummaly Sayasone has retained his position as the country’s president in a new ballot by the National Assembly while Thongsing Thammavong was re-elected as premier. President Choummaly, who was selected as party chief for the second term at the congress in March, told lawmakers he would employ all his ability, potential and skill to lead the country forward to stability, strength, happiness, unity, reconciliation, democracy and civilisation… [sic]

The administration of this blog asks that readers click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read further and gain context.

As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Laos has a unique role in the political and economic interplay which seems to be constantly occurring in the context of both Southeast as well as Greater Asia. In a recent posting on this blog it was noted that the government of China is planning to build a high speed rail system in order link Thailand, Laos, and China together so as to facilitate travel and trade. It is hoped that the recent change in the Lao government will result in benefits for the people of Laos.

Meanwhile, in government news pertaining to the United States of America it recently came to this blogger’ s attention that the President of the United States may be on the receiving end of a lawsuit involving America’s relatively recent presence in Libya. To provide further elucidation it may be best to quote directly from the official website of Politico, Politico.com:

A bipartisan group of House members announced on Wednesday that it is filing a lawsuit charging that President Obama made an illegal end-run around Congress when he approved U.S military action against Libya. “With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated. We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who led the 10-member anti-war coalition with Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.)…The Kucinich-Jones group also includes Democrats John Conyers of Michigan and Michael Capuano of Massachusetts and Republicans Howard Coble of North Carolina, John Duncan of Tennessee, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, Ron Paul of Texas, Tim Johnson of Illinois and Dan Burton of Indiana.

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click on the hyperlinks noted above to learn more from this story.

Those who read this web log with any frequency may have noted the fact that Representative Dennis Kucinich has recently been noted for his opposition to the so-called “Patriot Act” extension. As can be surmised, any lawsuit involving both federal legislators and the President is likely to be highly complex. Therefore, those interested in staying abreast of such issues are well advised to conduct thorough research in order to be fully informed about this developing story.

For related information please see: legal or US Company Registration.

Tags: ASEAN, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Business in Laos, China, Choummaly Sayasone, Dan Burton, Howard Coble, John Conyers, John Duncan, Lao National Assembly, Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Laos Business, Michael Capuano, President Obama, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Walter Jones, Ron Paul, Roscoe Bartlett, Thongsing Thammavong, Tim Johnson, U.S military
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, Laos Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Prime Minister of Singapore has been discussing some of the issues associated with the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and that organization’s relationship with other international organizations.  To provide further insight upon these developments it may be best to quote directly from the official website of Channel News Asia, ChannelNewsAsia.com:

JAKARTA: ASEAN’s ties with various regional and international groupings are an organic architecture which is gradually developing, says Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He was speaking at a plenary session at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Sunday. Mr Lee said ASEAN’s ties with groupings like the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Plus Three (which involves China, Japan and South Korea) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have helped to strengthen ties with one another. He said while there’s temptation to make things neater, it’s wiser to accept the “untidiness” of these arrangements and let the structures evolve…

The administration of this blog encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to learn more on this issue.

An interesting aspect of ASEAN’s evolution involves the fact that ASEAN is quintessentially Asian in that it is somewhat amorphous. The jurisdictions which comprise ASEAN operate both independently, but maintain something of a common purpose and overarching goals. How ASEAN will evolve in the future remains to be seen, but for now it would appear as though “organic” evolution will continue. It should be noted that the United States of America recently was noted for apparently undertaking cooperative efforts to engage ASEAN, along with China. How such developments will play out in the future is anyone’s guess.

On something of a related note, a Chinese rating house was recently noted for an analysis of the U.S. financial situation. To quote directly from Yahoo News Canada at Yahoo.com:

A Chinese ratings house has accused the United States of defaulting on its massive debt, state media said Friday, a day after Beijing urged Washington to put its fiscal house in order. “In our opinion, the United States has already been defaulting,” Guan Jianzhong, president of Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. Ltd., the only Chinese agency that gives sovereign ratings, was quoted by the Global Times saying. Washington had already defaulted on its loans by allowing the dollar to weaken against other currencies — eroding the wealth of creditors including China, Guan said…

This blogger encourages readers to click upon the hyperlinks noted above to find out further details. Hopefully, the United States can determine a course of action to deal with such issues that is beneficial for all concerned. Those interested in such matters are encouraged to conduct their own research to come to informed conclusions.

For related information please see: Thailand Company Registration.

Tags: APEC, ASEAN, ASEAN Plus Three, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Beijing, China, Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. Ltd., Global Times, Guan Jianzhong, Japan, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, South Korea, untidiness, Washington, World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum on East Asia
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, China Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Supreme Court of the sovereign State of New Jersey has handed down a decision which appears to differentiate between message boards and “mainstream” journalists. To cast further light upon this issue it may be best to quote directly from Yahoo News at Yahoo.com:

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Supreme Court says people posting in online message boards don’t have the same protections for sources as mainstream journalists. The court ruled Tuesday that New Jersey’s shield law for journalists does not apply to such message boards…New Jersey’s highest court says online message boards are little more than forums for discussion and don’t fit the definition of news media as described by the law.

The administration of this web log asks readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read this story in full to gain further context.

As the so-called “alternative media” or “new media” continues to thrive and grow it stands to reason that US Courts will be hearing cases which place something of a new spin upon long-held notions pertaining to journalism and the press. It is this blogger’s opinion that the above case is not the “last word” on this topic as it seems likely that further cases in the future could possibly speak to this issue as well. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to keep abreast of such matters.

Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was recently noted for his optimistic outlook for the ASEAN-American relationship, to quote directly from the official website of VIVA News, VIVANews.com:

I know you will agree that a peaceful, prosperous, and more integrated Southeast Asia is good for the world, the United States and for American business. As the United States’ fourth largest export market, ASEAN provides remarkable opportunity. Our presence and support now for this dynamic region of 580 million people will help ensure markets for U.S. goods and services for decades. We just concluded the 24th ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue last week—a gathering of more than 70 U.S. and ASEAN senior officials to discuss a range of issues. The message from the Dialogue is clear: The U.S.-ASEAN relationship is deepening and opportunities exist.

This blogger encourages readers to click on the relevant links above to read this in further detail.

Clearly, there are going to be further business opportunities in the jurisdictions (including the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia) which comprise ASEAN. As these opportunities arise it is hoped that America can maximize the beneficial aspects of such developments. If the readership of this blog is as uninformed as this blogger (and he must sheepishly admit that he was not aware of this recent  development), then it comes as a surprise that there is an American Ambassador to ASEAN. In order to explain further it may be best to quote from a more informed source. Namely: the official website of The Irrawaddy, Irrawaddy.com:

David Lee Carden, a former attorney who has been named the first US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), will attend the Asean Summit in Indonesia next week…

The administration very strongly recommends that readers click upon the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read that insightful article in full. To cast further light upon the appointment of a US Ambassador to ASEAN it may be best to quote directly from a posting dated April 26, 2011 from the official website of the US Mission to ASEAN:

In a ceremony today at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, H.E. David Lee Carden, the United States’ first resident Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, presented his credentials to ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. Dr. Surin will transmit Ambassador Carden’s credentials to ASEAN foreign ministers via the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta.

To view the official homepage of the US Mission to ASEAN please click: HERE.

Clearly, America is committed to a strong ASEAN-American relationship as evidenced by the posting of an Ambassador. This development, in this blogger’s opinion, is not without good reason as ASEAN’s future economic potential is, well, rather staggering. This is especially true when considering the possible refractive benefits which could accrue to ASEAN from the potentially massive growth in the economies of, in, and around India and China. Hopefully, strong ASEAN-American relations will result in political and economic benefits for all concerned.

For related information please see: US Embassy Thailand.

Tags: Alternative Media, American Business, American Embassy ASEAN, American Mission ASEAN, American Mission to ASEAN, American Visa ASEAN, ASEAN, ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, China, David Lee Carden, India, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, mainstream journalists, New Jersey Supreme Court, new media, online message boards, State of New Jersey, The U.S.-ASEAN relationship, United States Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, US Courts, US Embassy ASEAN, us embassy thailand, US Mission Asean, US Mission to ASEAN, US Visa ASEAN
Posted in US Mission ASEAN | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has expressed some concern about the possibility of the Union of Myanmar (also sometimes colloquially referred to as Burma) becoming Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In order to provide further insight it may be best to quote directly from the website of Channel News Asia, ChannelNewsAsia.com:

SINGAPORE: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged ASEAN to openly discuss Myanmar’s political and human rights problems before the country takes its turn as chair of the regional bloc. “Looking at the discussion about Myanmar and its interest in taking over the presidency of ASEAN, I am a little bit concerned,” she told a forum in Singapore, a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Merkel told an audience of government officials, foreign diplomats and academics that “the present leadership of Myanmar has not really proved that they are serious about embarking on the road of democracy…”

The administration of this web log strongly encourages readers to click upon the relevant hyperlinks above to learn more on this topic.

The Union of Myanmar has been in the news a great deal recently as that country recently held elections ushering in something of a new era in Myanmar’s politics although there are some who argue that there has been little real change resulting from the aforementioned elections. That stated, it is this blogger’s personal opinion that any progress under the circumstances would be a good thing. Frequent readers of this blog may note that Myanmar was recently rumored to be pondering the opening of a stock exchange although that has yet to see fruition.

Meanwhile, the United States and China appear poised for cooperation in matters pertaining to ASEAN as a recent article on the Voice of America website pointed out. To quote directly from the aforementioned article:

A top State Department official says that as the United States works to deepen its engagement in Southeast Asia, working closely together with China is a key part of that effort. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says that one of the the most important things that the United States is seeking to do this year, both at the ASEAN regional forum and the East Asia Summit, is show the United States deep commitment to working with China…As the United States works to find common ground with China, the world’s second largest economy and a rising Asia-Pacific military power, Campbell says Washington will be seeking to highlight areas of common pursuit with Beijing and find specific projects the two countries can work with each other in the region…

This blogger encourages readers to click on the hyperlinks noted above to find out more.

It is good to see that American officials are making an effort to become more engaged in the ASEAN region especially with the cooperation of the Chinese since combined efforts could yield significant benefits in the form of better diplomatic and trade relations for all concerned. In a previous posting it was noted that Chinese officials plan to incorporate a high speed rail link into the current rail system employed in the Kingdom of Thailand so that there would be a contiguous rail link between Thailand, Laos, and Greater China. In addition, it was also announced that Bangkok will likely soon see a Chinese Trade Complex which is to be designed to provide a platform for the trade of goods in Thailand. How all of these developments will ultimately play out remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: there is room for optimism in a current analysis of ASEAN developments.

For related information please see: US-Thai Treaty of Amity.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN Business, Asia-Pacific, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Bangkok, Beijing, Burma, China, China Business, Chinese Trade Complex, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Laos, Laos Business, Myanmar, Singapore, stock exchange, Thailand, Thailand Business, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, US-Thai Treaty of Amity, Voice of America, Washington
Posted in ASEAN Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that an increase in Asian consumerism may have a possible impact upon the global economy overall. To quote directly from a recent article written by Gregory White and posted on the website of Business Insider, BusinessInsider.com:

Yesterday, we told you about the Soc Gen research note “The China Domino has Fallen!” and its alarming conclusion that the world needs to expect significantly more inflation in the near term. Included in that report is a rather complex, but explanative chart, on just why this is happening. It displays the global supply and demand curve. While there are a great deal of variables at work here, the key, according to Soc Gen’s latest, is the expected surge in Asian consumers from China’s rebalancing…

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It stands to reason that as an economy as substantial as that of China makes its presence increasingly felt in the world economy the other players in the world economy will feel the ramifications of economic activity occurring in China and the surrounding region. To a lesser degree, the same might also be said for economic activity occurring in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as such activity can have ramifications for economic actors in other parts of the world. That stated, it seems unlikely that ASEAN‘s economic impact upon the global economy of the future will be as significant as that of China since China’s economy is more cohesive and streamlined compared to the more loosely arranged economies of ASEAN.

In other news pertaining to China it recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Chinese island of Taiwan may soon be the site of robotic immigration checkpoints at some point in the future. To quote directly from an article written by Loa lok-sin posted on the official website of the Taipei Times, TaipeiTimes.com:

In a few years, visitors could pass through unmanned immigration booths following instructions given by smiling robots when they step off the plane at Taiwan’s international airports, National Immigration Agency (NIA) -Director–General Hsieh Li-kung (謝立功) said yesterday. The first unmanned immigration inspection booths were installed on Tuesday at Shueitou Pier (水頭碼頭) in Kinmen County, from which ferries depart to Xiamen, China. “At this point, automatic immigration inspection booths have been installed only at Shueitou Pier, and are open only to [Republic of China (ROC)] nationals,” Hsieh told the Taipei Times during a telephone interview. “We plan to install the system at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport next month — but only for [ROC] nationals as well.”

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Clearly, the conditions of international travel are likely to change in the future as technological improvements continue to present themselves. However the idea of passing through a robotic immigration and/or customs checkpoint still seems somewhat alien, at least to this blogger. One wonders if such technological innovation will soon change the face of ports of entry to the United States or if robots of the United States Customs and Border Protection Service (USCBP) will one day usher in American Citizens upon their return to the United States of America. Such developments remain to be seen as of the time of this writing.

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Tags: ASEAN Business, automatic immigration inspection booths, China, China Business, immigration robots, Kinmen County, National Immigration Agency, NIA Director General Hsieh Li-kung, Republic of China, ROC, Shueitou Pier, Soc Gen, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, The China Domino has Fallen!, unmanned immigration booths, Xiamen
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business, USCBP | No Comments »