Indonesia calls upon ASEAN to help Japan; China-ASEAN FDI surpasses US $ 10 billion; Thai Prime Minister visits India; China offers aid to Myanmar; China-Myanmar bilateral MoU to build petroleum refining plant in Myanmar signed;
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  • In the ministers meeting of ASEAN nations to discuss coordinating aid to Japan, on 9 April, Indonesia called upon ASEAN to help crisis ridden Japan. President Susilo Yudhoyono indicated that Indonesia is willing to be at the forefront of regional disaster preparedness as also in helping Japan. The agenda of the meeting included ways to boost cooperation for disaster management, recovery and rehabilitation and reconstruction.1

    At the preparatory meeting to discuss eighth China-ASEAN fair on 8 April, China’s Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hu Cheng said that China-ASEAN foreign direct investment has surpassed US $ 10 billion. He added that Chinese investment into ASEAN countries has seen rapid growth. China’s investment in ASEAN countries totaled US $ 3.5 billion in 2010, a 13-fold increase over 2003.2

    On his first visit to India, the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the bilateral trade between the two countries will reach US $ 10 billion by 2012, and double the trade volume by 2014. He added that India-Thai bilateral trade has seen six fold increase in the last one decade3.

    Chinese national petroleum corporation has offered aid worth US $ 6 million to Myanmar. The money is meant to build hospitals in Myanmar. According to reports, China is pursuing Myanmar to speed up the laying of oil pipeline between the two countries.4 In that regard, the Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited and Guandong Zhenrong Energy heads signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 4 April. The MoU will pave the way to building of a petroleum refining plant in Myanmar.5

    In other developments, on 7 April, 2011, Thailand admitted that it used internationally banned weapons during border clash with Cambodia. However, it didn’t call the weapons as cluster munitions. Thailand has been facing massive criticisms from the international community.6

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