February 22, 2012 (Vietnamica) – The country’s oil minister expelled the head of Chinese-Malaysian oil consortium Petrodar (Reuters)amid rising tensions between Juba and Chinese oil firms. South Sudan, which recently shut down its oil output, has accused the firms of helping neighboring Sudan steal its oil.
Feb 17, 2012 (Reuters) — Singapore hosted military brass from across Asia this week at the region’s biggest arms and aerospace bazaar, almost 70 years to the day since it fell to Japanese forces sweeping across Southeast Asia during World War Two.
Vietnam Targets Exports of 7 Mln Tons of Rice in 2012December 13, 2011 (Vietnamica) – Vietnam targets exports of 7 million tons of rice in 2012, similar to the record high volume expected this year. Exporters have bought just 700,000 tones for stocking, down from between 1.5 million and 2 million tons in their usual stock in prior years due to slowing sales (The Malaysian Insider, Dec 13).
November 29, 2011 (Vietnamica) — Strong readings on Malaysia’s domestic-oriented sectors suggest no feed-through so far from softening external demand. To be watched closely is the future evolution of foreign trade: this was the area that disappointed slightly during the third quarter. Both export and import growth came in slightly lower than IHS Global Insight had anticipated—confirmation that external demand is, indeed, losing momentum.
Japan’s Three Interests in Trans-Pacific PartnershipNovember 11, 2011 (Vietnamica) – In his recent article “The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Rise of China: What Japan Joins the TPP Means for the Region,” on Foreign Affairs, Bernard K. Gordon – Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire – points out three Japanese interests in the TPP.
First Solar Postponed Vietnam Factory, Focused on U.S, Germany, and Malaysia Production BasesNovember 4, 2011 (Vietnamica) — First Solar Inc., the world’s largest maker of thin-film solar panels, postponed plans to complete a factory in Vietnam as part of an effort to cut capital spending. First Solar will focus on completing a new factory in Mesa, Arizona, and implementing improvements to existing production lines in the U.S., Germany and Malaysia (Bloomberg, Nov 3)
