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March
Biden to meet virtually Friday with leaders of Japan, India, Australia
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 10 - U.S. President Joe Biden will participate in an online meeting on Friday with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, the White House announced on Tuesday, the first leader-level meeting of a group seen as part of efforts to balance China’s growing military and economic power.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the meeting of the “quad” countries indicates the importance Biden places in U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
She said she expected a range of issues facing the global community to be discussed “from the threat of COVID, to economic cooperation and, of course, to the climate crisis”
India’s Foreign Ministry said the leaders would address “regional and global issues of shared interest, and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.”
It said the summit would also cover supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change.
The United States is looking to strengthen ties with key allies as China takes an increasingly assertive foreign policy approach in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere in the world.
India has urged the other Quad members to invest in its vaccine production capacity, in an attempt to counter China’s widening vaccine diplomacy.
The Indian statement said Quad leaders would discuss ongoing efforts to combat the pandemic and explore “opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Friday’s meeting will take place days before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plan to visit Japan and South Korea later this month.
The visit by Blinken and Austin will be the first to the Asian allies by the top U.S. foreign policy and defense officials since the Biden administration took office in January. (Reuters)
March
United Arab Emirates attracts corporate billions to climb tax-haven ranking
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - The United Arab Emirates, a magnet for the globe’s ultra-rich, has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing corporate tax havens, according to a study released on Tuesday that highlighted $200 billion-plus flowing into the country.
The index by the Tax Justice Network, which documents countries that attract companies to shrink their tax bills, added the United Arab Emirates to its top-10 ranking, which includes Switzerland and Bermuda.
Britain’s offshore territories the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Cayman Islands and Bermuda were named as the most significant jurisdictions used by companies to minimise their tax, followed by the Netherlands.
The United Arab Emirates joined the top ranking at number 10 after multi-nationals rerouted over $218 billion of foreign direct investment via the Netherlands to the UAE to save taxes, the study said, bolstering financial activity by almost 180%.
A Dutch finance ministry spokeswoman said it had introduced a withholding tax to target flows of money to low-tax countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bermuda, and to prevent the Netherlands being used as a conduit. It estimates, however, that the money flows are lower.
The UAE did not respond to a request for comment.
The Tax Justice Network, a group funded by donations and campaigning for transparency, said its study measured multinational activity, as well as tax rates and loopholes. While companies are not forbidden from using loopholes, the practice is viewed critically.
“You don’t need to be a tax expert to see why a global tax system programmed by a club of rich tax havens is haemorrhaging over $245 billion in lost corporate tax a year,” said Alex Cobham, Tax Justice Network’s chief executive.
Dubai, a party capital in the United Arab Emirates and a magnet for social media influencers, was hit hard by the pandemic as lockdowns hurt tourism and shopping while lower oil prices weighed on the Gulf state’s revenues.
To counter the decline in local population and revive a struggling property market, after job cuts prompted many expatriates, who make up the majority of the population, to leave, it redoubled efforts to boost the economy.
The government loosened rules to encourage international companies to establish a local foothold and bolstered schemes offering visas to rich foreigners.
The country has been criticised by the Financial Action Task Force, the global dirty-money watchdog. UAE recently approved the creation of a new government office to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Cayman Islands government said it “supports a fair tax system” and was committed to “international tax standards”. Britain’s finance ministry said overseas territories set their own policy. Other countries either did not respond or declined to comment. (Reuters)
March
Australia health minister in hospital after vaccination but link ruled out
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - Australian health minister Greg Hunt is expected to make a full recovery after being admitted to hospital with a suspected infection two days after taking a COVID-19 vaccine, his office said on Tuesday.
The previous day, Hunt said on Twitter that he had been inoculated at the weekend with AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine, one of two being distributed in the country.
Hunt, 55, will stay overnight for observation and is receiving antibiotics and fluid, his office said, without describing his symptoms or saying when he was admitted to hospital.
“The minister is expected to make a full recovery,” it said in a statement. “His condition is not considered to be related to the vaccine.”
Hunt becomes the third member of Australia’s federal cabinet to receive treatment for his health, following Attorney-General Christian Porter and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds. (Reuters)
March
Singapore 'bubble' business hotel welcomes first guests
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - Singapore has launched a travel “bubble” business hotel that allows executives to do face-to-face meetings without a risk of exposure to the coronavirus, in one of the world’s first such facilities.
The hotel has meeting rooms outfitted with airtight glass panels to reduce the risk of transmission and even has a special compartment with an ultraviolet light to sanitise documents so they can be shared between participants.
Some of its first guests have come from France, Germany, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
“Given that we have operations in Singapore, I need to be able to travel to conduct face-to-face meetings with the team based in Singapore, as well as process some paperwork,” said Olivier Leroux, who was among the first guests when he checked in on Monday after his flight from France.
The hotel differs from quarantine hotels in the city-state, where guests are isolated for two weeks and must pass COVID-19 tests before being cleared to leave and join the local community.
Visitors to the bubble hotel are not permitted to enter Singapore and must leave via the airport.
Singapore is expected to host the World Economic Forum in August this year, and the bubble hotel has been floated as way to facilitate business meetings during the event.
Room rate starts at S$384 ($284.70) per night, which is includes meals, two-way airport transfer and COVID-19 tests required during the course of the stay.
Due to strictly enforced curbs and quarantine measures, regional business hub Singapore has kept a tight lid on its coronavirus infections, despite clusters emerging last year in migrant workers’ dormitories. (Reuters)
March
Malaysia court allows rights groups to challenge Myanmar deportations
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - A Malaysian court on Tuesday granted international human rights groups permission to challenge the recent deportation of Myanmar nationals, a major step in a country where the law bars immigration decisions from being questioned in court.
The Malaysian government last month deported 1,086 people it claimed were illegal immigrants on three Myanmar navy ships. It did so just hours after an interim court order banning the group’s removal, pending a legal bid by Amnesty International and Asylum Access to halt the plan amid fears there were asylum seekers and children among the group..
The ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday paves the way for a full hearing on the deportations and extends a stay barring the removal of another 114 Myanmar nationals until the end of the judicial review.
The progression of the legal case is unlikely to bring back those who have already been deported, but could allow similar challenges against future removals, New Sin Yew, a lawyer for the groups, told Reuters.
“It’s a very important decision because it recognises the function of non-government organisations like Asylum Access and Amnesty International and their standing in bringing judicial review to hold the authorities accountable,” New said, as he detailed the court’s decision.
The immigration department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the court ruling.
The European Union and the United States have expressed concern the deportations went ahead despite the interim court order, while several Malaysian lawmakers have said the move could amount to contempt of court.
Asylum Access Malaysia director Hui Ying Tham said the human rights groups had not yet decided whether to seek action against the government for contempt of court, but have asked authorities for more details on those deported.
“We are actually trying to get more information ... as the deportation happened quite suddenly under very opaque circumstances,” she told a virtual news conference.
Malaysia’s immigration department has said the returned group did not include Rohingya refugees or asylum seekers, but concerns have persisted as the U.N. refugee agency has been denied access to detainees for more than a year to verify their status.
The rights groups in their court filing said three U.N.-registered people and 17 minors with at least one parent in Malaysia were on the deportee list.
It was unclear if those individuals were sent back, though other refugee groups have said at least nine asylum-seekers and two unaccompanied children were among those already deported.
Malaysia is home to more than 154,000 asylum-seekers from Myanmar, where the military seized power last month. (Reuters)
March
U.N. envoy in Doha to push on Afghan peace process: sources
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - The United Nation’s envoy for Afghanistan is due to arrive in Qatar on Tuesday to meet with Afghan government and Taliban representatives this week in a fresh push on the fractious Afghan peace process, two sources familiar with the talks said.
The visit comes as the United States is seeking to shake-up the stalled Qatari-hosted talks between the warring sides, including proposals for an interim government.
U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons was also expected to with meet U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Qatari officials during the visit, the sources said.
These are crucial meetings as the outcome will decide the fate of year-long talks in Doha whether they should be continued or put under a moratorium, one of the sources said.
With peace negotiations in the Qatari capital making little progress and violence in Afghanistan escalating, the United States is trying to build consensus around alternative options with all Afghan sides and key regional players.
Khalilzad has visited Afghanistan, Pakistan and Qatar over the past week.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration signed a troop withdrawal deal with the Taliban in February 2020 under which all international forces were expected to leave the country by May 1.
However, violence has risen and NATO officials say some conditions of the deal, including the Taliban cutting ties with international militant groups, have not been met, which the Taliban disputes.
The U.S. government said on Sunday that all options remain on the table for its remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and that it had made no decisions about its military commitment after May 1.
The State Department comments came after reports emerged that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had made a new urgent push for a U.N.-led peace effort, warning the U.S. military was considering exiting Afghanistan by May 1. (Reuters)
March
U.N. rights boss calls on Myanmar to let trapped protesters go
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - The United Nations human rights office voiced deep concern on Monday at the fate of 200 peaceful protesters trapped by Myanmar’s security forces in Yangon and called for them to be allowed to leave in safety without reprisals.
Three people were killed in Myanmar on Monday at demonstrations against last month’s military coup, and hundreds of protesters in the main city Yangon pleaded for help after they were cornered by security forces after dark.
The office of Michelle Bachelet wrote on Twitter: “#Myanmar: We are deeply concerned about the fate of some 200 peaceful protestors – incl. women – who have been cordoned by security forces in Yangon, and may be at risk of arrest or ill-treatment. We urge the police to immediately allow them to leave safely and without reprisals.” (Reuters)
March
Two-thirds of tropical rainforest destroyed or degraded globally, NGO says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - Humans have degraded or destroyed roughly two-thirds of the world’s original tropical rainforest cover, new data reveals – raising alarm that a key natural buffer against climate change is quickly vanishing.
The forest loss is also a major contributor of climate-warming emissions, with the dense tropical forest vegetation representing the largest living reservoir of carbon.
Logging and land conversion, mainly for agriculture, have wiped out 34% of the world’s original old-growth tropical rainforests, and degraded another 30%, leaving them more vulnerable to fire and future destruction, according to an analysis by the non-profit Rainforest Foundation Norway.
More than half of the destruction since 2002 has been in South America’s Amazon and bordering rainforests.
As more rainforest is destroyed, there is more potential for climate change, which in turn makes it more difficult for remaining forests to survive, said the report’s author Anders Krogh, a tropical forest researcher.
“It’s a terrifying cycle,” Krogh said. The total lost between just 2002 and 2019 was larger than the area of France, he found.
The rate of loss in 2019 roughly matched the annual level of destruction over the last 20 years, with a football field’s worth of forest vanishing every 6 seconds, according to another recent report by the World Resources Institute.
The Brazilian Amazon has been under intense pressure in recent decades, as an agricultural boom has driven farmers and land speculators to torch plots of land for soybeans, beef and other crops. That trend has worsened since 2019, when right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro took office and began weakening environmental enforcement.
But the Amazon also represents the best hope for preserving what rainforest remains. The Amazon and its neighbors – the Orinoco and the Andean rainforest – account for 73.5% of tropical forests still intact, according to Krogh.
The new report “reinforces that Brazil must take care of the forest,” said Ane Alencar, a geographer with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute who was not involved in the work. “Brazil has the biggest chunk of tropical forest in the world and is also losing the most.”
Southeast Asian islands, mostly belonging to Indonesia, collectively rank second in terms of forest destruction since 2002, with much of those forests cleared for palm oil plantations.
Central Africa ranks third, with most of the destruction centered around the Congo River basin, due to traditional and commercial farming as well as logging.
Forests that were defined in the report as degraded had either been partially destroyed, or destroyed and since replaced by secondary forest growth, Rainforest Foundation Norway said.
That report’s definition for intact forest may be overly strict, cautioned Tasso Azevedo, coordinator of the Brazilian deforestation mapping initiative MapBiomas. The analysis only counts untouched regions of at least 500 square km (193 square miles) as intact, leaving out smaller areas that may add to the world’s virgin forest cover, he said.
Krogh explained that this definition was chosen because smaller tracts are at risk of the “edge effect,” where trees die faster and biodiversity is harder to maintain near the edge of the forest. A forest spanning 500 square km can fully sustain its ecosystem, he said. (Reuters)
March
China says hopes U.S. will remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 9 - China urged the United States on Sunday to remove “unreasonable” curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden singled out a “growing rivalry with China” as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the country as “the biggest geopolitical test” of this century.
Speaking at his annual news conference, the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, struck a tough line even as he outlined where the world’s two biggest economies could work together.
Questioned about U.S.-China frictions over Taiwan, Xinjiang and the disputed South China Sea, Wang said Beijing “will never accept baseless accusations and smears”.
The United States had used democracy and human rights as a basis for arbitrarily interfering with other countries’ affairs, he said. “The U.S. should realise this as soon as possible, otherwise the world will continue to experience instability.”
The White House brushed aside the criticisms over Taiwan and said Washington would continue to support Taipei.
Wang said differences between Beijing and Washington must be managed carefully, the two sides must advocate healthy competition not zero-sum finger-pointing, and that areas like climate change and fighting the pandemic were where they could cooperate.
“It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway and lift the various unreasonable restrictions placed on Sino-U.S. cooperation to date as soon as possible, and not create new obstacles artificially.”
The United States and China are at odds over influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Beijing’s economic practices, Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights in China’s Xinjiang region.
The Biden administration has indicated it will broadly continue the tough approach to China taken by former President Donald Trump, but do so in coordination with allies.
Wang warned there was no room for compromise on Chinese-claimed Taiwan and the new U.S. government should drop the previous administration’s “dangerous acts of playing with fire”.
Biden’s team called the U.S. commitment to democratic Taiwan “rock solid” and on Monday White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a regular news briefing Washington would “continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defence capability.”
“Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security and values in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said when asked about Wang’s remarks.
Under Trump, the United States imposed sanctions against China and its officials over Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Beijing’s economic policies, which have not been lifted by Biden.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he agrees with his predecessor Mike Pompeo’s determination that genocide against Muslims is under way in Xinjiang.
Activists and U.N. experts say 1 million Muslim Uighurs are held in Chinese camps. China denies abuses and says its camps provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism.
Wang said some Western politicians chose to believe lies about Xinjiang, and took a dig at Western countries’ records.
“When it comes to ‘genocide’, most people think of North American Indians in the 16th century, African slaves in the 19th century, Jews in the 20th century, and the Australian aborigines who are still fighting today,” he said.
“The so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is ridiculously absurd. It is a rumour with ulterior motives and a complete lie.” (Reuters)
March
East Timor imposes first coronavirus lockdown over outbreak fears
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mar. 8 - The tiny Southeast Asian nation of East Timor will put its capital city on a coronavirus lockdown for the first time, its government said on Monday, amid fears it could be facing its first local outbreak.
A “sanitary fence and mandatory confinement” will be imposed in Dili for seven days from midnight Monday with residents asked to stay home unless necessary to leave, the country’s council of ministers said in statement.
It said the measure was because of a “high probability of community transmission”, but did not elaborate.
“It is forbidden to travel, by land, sea or air, out of this municipality, except in duly justified cases for reasons of safety, public health, humanitarian or other that are necessary for the accomplishment of the public interest,” it said.
A former Portuguese colony with a population of 1.2 million, East Timor has detected just 122 cases of the coronavirus, most of which were imported.
But its porous border with Indonesia, which has recorded close to 1.38 million COVID-19 cases and more than 37,000 deaths, has raised concern the virus could spread and wreak havoc on East Timor’s poorly equipped healthcare system.
All social, cultural, sporting or religious events that involve gatherings are also temporarily banned during the lockdown, which could be extended on March 15, it said.
The council of ministers also approved a national vaccination plan, with 33,000 doses expected to arrive in the country at the end of March. (Reuters)