NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: EU/Central Asia: Authorities must safeguard civil society space for genuine progress – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Protecting human rights and safeguarding civil society in Central Asian countries must be at the heart of the first ever EU-Central Asia Summit, scheduled to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 3-4 April, Amnesty International said today.

    “Central Asia stands at a pivotal moment as the European Union seeks to deepen its political and economic engagement with the region. Long-term progress depends not only on diplomacy, investment and trade – it also requires respect for human rights and space for civil society to develop and operate freely and without fear,” Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said.

    “The overall situation in the region remains concerning. Authorities maintain tight control over the media and civil society, suppress dissent, peaceful assembly, and freedom of association, and consistently fail to carry out human rights due diligence – that is, they do not take adequate steps to identify, prevent, and respond to potential human rights violations linked to their actions, laws or policies.”

    Earlier this month, Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in which it agreed to use the ECtHR’s rulings as guidance in Kazakhstan’s domestic legal system. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan is seeking to strengthen the role of the Ombudsperson’s office, critical for ensuring that state bodies do not use their powers to curtail human rights, and Uzbekistan has achieved visible progress in addressing the issue of forced labour in the cotton industry.

    However, even in countries demonstrating positive steps, recent trends are disturbing. In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, authorities routinely suppress the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and crack down on independent media.

    Several Central Asian governments have adopted legislation and policies under the guise of protecting “traditional values” that restrict human rights and target marginalized groups. In Kyrgyzstan, a lawmodelled on Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation has since 2024 imposed onerous requirements on foreign-funded NGOs, leading to closures and self-censorship. Authorities across the region have also used similar rhetoric to justify violations of the rights of LGBTI people, who face discrimination, lack of protection from violence and restrictions on their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

    “Across Central Asia, Eastern Europe and in the European Union (EU), government responses to concerns about national security or public morality have led to increased repression. Wherever “foreign agent” legislation has been enacted, it has led to the stigmatization of NGOs, the intimidation of activists and the slow suffocation of a vibrant civil society,” Marie Struthers said.

    “If Central Asian governments and the EU, its institutions and national governments are truly committed to human rights, the path forward lies not in stifling civil society but in empowering it – by committing to human rights due diligence, fostering open dialogue, building trust between the state and the public and ensuring a safe environment for civil society to thrive. The European Union and Central Asian governments must ensure that human rights remain a core pillar of their enhanced cooperation.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Support for Canberra Olympians and Paralympians

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Extra funding will support local athletes like Jack Cleary, Angela Ballard and Chad Perris.

    The ACT Government is backing Canberran Olympic and Paralympic athletes with extra funding.

    The Paris Olympic Games are in July, and the Paralympic Games are in August this year.

    The extra funding will help local athletes prepare to qualify to represent Australia in the lead up to the games. “The funding to me and the whole rowing team allows us to be the best we can be,” Olympic athlete Jack Cleary said.

    “At the games, it is an absolute whirlwind, and we need to keep ourselves central and not worry about the things you can’t control. They are being managed by the staff who come along to help us – which this funding helps to support,” he said.

    The ACT has a history of supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes. It was the first jurisdiction in Australia to fund the Olympic and Paralympic Teams equally.

    Paralympic athlete Chad Perris says the timing of the funding is key.

    “We have a lot of extra costs, whether travel, equipment, there are a lot of things that go into getting us over the line to get us to Paris,” he said.

    “I’m really excited about this funding and to have it as equal funding with our Olympic counterparts is really exciting.”

    “The Paralympic team funding from the ACT Government is huge,” Paralympic athlete Angela Ballard said.

    “I know from behind the scenes how much it takes just to get our athletes over there and make sure we have the resources we need to perform.

    “On a personal level, the ACT Government funding grants for individual ACT athletes will make a big difference. We still have a lot of work to do to keep up our training and to qualify between now and the Games, and this support will be of great help,” she said.

    Canberra is home to elite athletes training at both the Australian Institute of Sport and ACT Academy of Sport. Despite being the smallest jurisdiction in Australia, ACT athletes have a strong presence at each Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

    The ACT Government will provide funding support through the Mid-Year Budget Review. This includes both direct financial assistance and in-kind training assistance through the ACT Academy of Sport.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Career change renews teacher’s passion

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Blair Merton is excited to get back into teaching and has several goals for the year ahead.

    After a 15-year break from teaching, Blair Merton is keen to return to the classroom.

    The avid reader and history buff will teach history and geography at Kaleen High.

    He will also run a Strategy Games Club, where students play miniature wargames.

    He’s the ideal person to coordinate this, having served in the Australian Army during his teaching pause.

    “I’d taught at a few different high schools around Canberra throughout the 2000s – Canberra High, Lanyon and Belconnen – before taking an extended hiatus from teaching in 2009,” Blair said.

    He moved to the Education section of the Australian War Memorial before enlisting in the Army and being posted to Darwin.

    “Life in the military meant that I was part of a wider family of a diverse range of people and experiences, and as an older soldier, I often found myself helping others through their personal trials and tribulations. I often found myself helping some younger soldiers with their written aspects of their courses and administrative work. I was probably the worst shot in the Army, but I did have a knack for communicating,” he said.

    The thought of returning to teaching was never completely out of his mind.

    “My wife began working as a midwife, and we both decided that due to the stresses and strains of our professions we would return to Canberra where we could be closer to our extended families,” he said.

    Although Blair isn’t new to teaching in the Territory, he joins the almost 170 new educators working in ACT public schools this year.

    He is excited to get back into it and has several goals in mind for the year ahead.

    “I’m aiming to improve my student outcomes, their skills. I want to inspire curiosity and build people of good character. I always try to remind my students that a good life means building a balanced life, and I try to remind them of the principles of justice, courage and wisdom. The Ancients started this kind of education back in the day, and there’s still a lot of merit in those principles.

    “The best thing about my subject area is that you make links between all the various disciplines of science, literature and maths in order for students to see the world around them and develop an appreciation of that world, because one day they’ll take custodianship of it,” Blair said.

    Blair understands how a good schooling experience can shape a person.

    “My favourite subjects in school were History and English. My favourite school was Higgins Primary – I have so many good memories from those days. Playing rugby and cricket, watching BTN on the TV trolley, the fetes, discos and Saturday afternoon matinees in the school hall,” he said.

    He is pleased to be back in Canberra and views the lifestyle here as conducive to an active family life.

    “Canberra has lots of opportunities for my children to play sport, attend events and take up hobbies. My family loves living near the bushland, and we regularly run and walk our greyhound on the back tracks. I love playing music in my band, The Lonely Fates, and the Canberra music scene is so much bigger and more professional nowadays,” he said.

    Who knows? For someone so comfortable with change, perhaps a move into Kaleen High’s music department could also be on the cards in future.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Shirley Smith High School opens its doors

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    School principal Rebecca Pearce looks forward to welcoming students.

    Shirley Smith High School in East Gungahlin has officially opened its doors to students for the first time.

    More than 80 year seven students now attend the new school, located in Kenny.

    “No matter what school I’ve worked in, there’s nothing like that first day, when the kids come with their brand-new uniform and their bags and their excitement about the shift from primary school to high school,” Shirley Smith High School Principal Rebecca Pearce said.

    “It’s a really important transition and we want to capture that excitement with them.

    “That’s what I’m really looking forward to: getting their energy and then continuing that energy right through the year.”

    Shirley Smith High School will cater to up to 800 year 7-10 student in the East Gungahlin region. Students will join the school in a phased approach, beginning with year seven students in 2024.

    The school’s motto is ‘grow with us’.

    “We teach the whole child and we’re really about developing a young person to be a successful learner right through their life,” Rebecca said.

    “Rather than trying to focus really narrowly on the curriculum content and concepts, it’s about that broad understanding of who you are as a learner, what are your strengths and weaknesses and building on those within the Australian curriculum framework.”

    The new high school responds to the rapid growth in Gungahlin, one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia.

    “‘Grow with us’ is also about being a high school in a community that hasn’t even been built yet,” Rebecca said.

    “And actually, being a community school that understands who their students and families are and caters to the needs of every single student.”

    For the last nine months, Rebecca has recruited a team that includes specialist teachers across all curriculum areas. She’s also created systems and processes to support the staff and students, while leaving space for decision making in response to the school community.

    “We’ll be able to really listen to what their needs are and make changes in a way that supports positive growth because we’ve got that staggered, staged approach.”

    Shirley Smith High School has been designed with visible and flexible learning in mind.

    “Teachers can move walls and make changes very quickly. I think that’s the key to meeting the young person’s needs: that level of flexibility within the structure of the school,” Rebecca said.

    “We have every resource at our fingertips for us to run a comprehensive program.”

    Spaces for community hire and use are also available at Shirley Smith High School. These include a double gymnasium with basketball, netball, futsal and volleyball markings. There is also a covered hard court suitable for basketball and netball and an oval for soccer, rugby union and rugby league games. The multipurpose hall is also available for community use.

    Read more about Shirley Smith High School.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Susan Ryan sculpture approved for Senate Gardens

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Artist Lis Johnson has completed numerous life-size bronze sculptures in Canberra.

    The Federal Parliament has approved the installation of a sculpture to honour the late Senator Susan Ryan AO FAICD (1942-2020) in the Parliamentary Zone.

    Senator Ryan dedicated her life to public service through many different roles.

    She held public office as a Senator in the ACT and Minister in the Hawke government.

    Senator Ryan also worked in senior roles across the private and public sectors.

    Her distinguished career included many firsts. She was the first Senator for the Australian Capital Territory. She was also the first woman appointed to a Labor frontbench position and the first Age Discrimination Commissioner.

    The life-size bronze sculpture of Susan Ryan will be adjacent to the Senate Rose Gardens eastern central entry.

    The location is near where she once had an office in Old Parliament House. The art work will be in an area featuring a curved bench seat, new paving, and interpretive signage.

    The ACT Government commissioned the sculpture which recognises the contribution that Susan Ryan made to Australian public life.

    It acknowledges her advancement of women’s rights as a Minister and her role in creating the Sex Discrimination Act – an enduring reform that changed Australia.

    Artist Lis Johnson has completed several life-size bronze sculptures. These include those of Dame Enid Lyons and Dame Dorothy Tangney, who stand adjacent to Old Parliament House, and Sir John Gorton (with Suzie Q) in Parkes.

    Lis has been working closely with Susan Ryan’s family, ensuring they are involved at every stage  of the work.

    “We are so thrilled that the sculpture of our mother Susan Ryan will be located in the Senate Rose Gardens at the Old Parliament House,” Justine Butler, Susan’s daughter,  said.

    “For my brother Ben and I, this was the parliament house. We spent a lot of time there, with our mother, and we have happy memories of those gardens, so close to her office.

    “My mother and her colleagues played social tennis games there in the summer, and all year round, the beautiful gardens provided an important place for Susan to think and work,” she said.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar leader thanks China’s Yunnan Rescue Team

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday extended his appreciation to members of China’s Yunnan Rescue Medical Team for their timely assistance after a strong earthquake hit Myanmar Friday.

    The Myanmar leader visited Ottara Thiri Private Hospital in Nay Pyi Taw, the Myanmar capital, on Sunday and thanked the Chinese rescue team, who rushed to the impact area in the first time for relief efforts.

    The Chinese rescue team from Yunnan Province in southwest China, joined by Myanmar’s rescue forces, retrieved an elderly man in the earthquake-hit Nay Pyi Taw at 05:00 local time on Sunday.

    The man had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of the hospital in the city. After an emergency rescue operation overnight, the person was the first survivor rescued by the Chinese team after they arrived in the earthquake-stricken area of Myanmar on Saturday.

    The 37-member Chinese team carried full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones, drones and other rescue equipment in their rescue operations.

    A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country on Friday. Several Chinese rescue teams have joined the relief efforts with their Myanmar counterparts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar earthquake death toll hits 1,700

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    This photo taken on March 29, 2025 shows a damaged building after an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar. [Photo/Xinhua]

    About 1,700 people died, 3,400 were injured, and 300 remained missing in the massive earthquake in Myanmar, according to the country’s State Administration Council on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Death toll rises to 1,700 following strong earthquake in Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo taken on March 29, 2025 shows a damaged building after an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar. [Photo/Xinhua]

    About 1,700 people died, 3,400 were injured, and 300 remained missing in the massive earthquake in Myanmar, according to the country’s State Administration Council on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar leader expresses appreciation to China’s Yunnan Rescue Medical Team

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NAY PYI TAW/KUNMING, March 30 — Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday extended his appreciation to members of China’s Yunnan Rescue Medical Team for their timely assistance after a strong earthquake hit Myanmar Friday.

    The Myanmar leader visited Ottara Thiri Private Hospital in Nay Pyi Taw, the Myanmar capital, on Sunday and thanked the Chinese rescue team, who rushed to the impact area in the first time for relief efforts.

    The Chinese rescue team from Yunnan Province in southwest China, joined by Myanmar’s rescue forces, retrieved an elderly man in the earthquake-hit Nay Pyi Taw at 05:00 local time on Sunday.

    The man had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of the hospital in the city. After an emergency rescue operation overnight, the person was the first survivor rescued by the Chinese team after they arrived in the earthquake-stricken area of Myanmar on Saturday.

    The 37-member Chinese team carried full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones, drones and other rescue equipment in their rescue operations.

    A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country on Friday. Several Chinese rescue teams have joined the relief efforts with their Myanmar counterparts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Dutton has questions to answer on gas; Albanese has supermarket answer still hunting for the problem

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Peter Dutton is a tease when it comes to the fine print of policies. At least that’s the benign explanation. Critics have a harsher take on why we’re always being told to wait for the detail. They would claim his policies are often thin, or unfolded on the run.

    Right now, we’re into the first week of the campaign and we’re still waiting for more on the Coalition’s gas reservation policy, announced in Dutton’s budget reply, as well as precision on its immigration policy and for how much extra it would spend on defence.

    Dutton said on Sunday we’d get information on the gas policy in the next “couple of days”.

    Danny Price, of Frontier Economics, has been hard at work, putting some modelling together. Price did the modelling for the opposition’s controversial nuclear policy, finding it much cheaper than the government’s energy transition plan. But those numbers depend on the assumptions. That modelling was contested, and no doubt so will be the gas policy analysis.

    Whatever the numbers that come out, they won’t include one key figure: what you would (arguably) save on your power bill. The opposition has learned something from Labor’s debacle of promising, before the last election, that its energy policy would save households $275 by 2025.

    At the weekend Albanese dismissed Labor’s modelling before the 2022 election as “RepuTex modelling based on the circumstances at the time”. Indeed.

    Dutton has, however, suggested his gas policy would reduce the wholesale domestic price from $14 per gigajoule to under $10 a gigajoule. More gas would mean cheaper prices, is its logic.

    The opposition’s thinking is that it lands the generality of a policy first, lets the public absorb that, and then produces detail. But the trouble with releasing the detail so late is the Coalition is likely to get bogged down in a confusing and damaging debate over what opponents will say are dodgy numbers and assumptions.

    This can lose a day or more and there aren’t that many days in a five-week campaign, especially when pre-polling starts a fortnight before the end.

    While Dutton was batting off questions about gas at the weekend, Anthony Albanese swung into his campaign stride in a comfort zone – at attack on supermarkets.

    He announced that if re-elected, Labor will legislate against supermarkets being able to price gouge. Not immediately though. There’d be a taskforce to work out the detail.

    There’s more than a touch of chutzpah here. We’ve just seen the report of a long inquiry by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission into supermarkets. It found they were very profitable but it didn’t find price gouging. Its raft of recommendations did not include legislation on price gouging.

    This hasn’t deterred the PM, who provided his own definition of the problem. “I got asked today by someone … ‘how do you know what price gouging is?’ Price gouging is when supermarkets are taking the piss off Australian consumers. That’s what it is. That’s what price gouging is. Everyone out there knows. Consumers know. We’ll take action here.”

    He did give the rather less colloquial EU definition.“In the EU, a price is unfair and excessive if, and to quote their law, ‘it has no reasonable relation to the economic value of the product supplied’.”

    After a fairly ordinary start to the campaign, this week Donald Trump will step right into the centre of it, with his much-anticipated tariff announcement. Australian officials continue to lobby the US; no one is confidently predicting whether or not we’ll be escape the firing line.

    Before the Trump announcement will come Tuesday’s first meeting of the new monetary policy board that has been set up under Labor’s changes to the Reserve Bank.

    Unlike February, when all the heat was on the bank’s governor to deliver that rate cut (which did come), nobody is expecting another cut yet. Michele Bullock can relax this week.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. View from The Hill: Dutton has questions to answer on gas; Albanese has supermarket answer still hunting for the problem – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-dutton-has-questions-to-answer-on-gas-albanese-has-supermarket-answer-still-hunting-for-the-problem-253118

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: 13 Chinese nationals injured in Myanmar earthquake

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Thirteen Chinese nationals were injured in the earthquake in Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed on Sunday.

    The embassy said in a written reply to Xinhua that the injured were in Mandalay Province, where most of whom are receiving medical treatment, and some of the injured are urgently transferred to Yangon for treatment.

    As of 11:00 Beijing time on Sunday, the embassy had received and handled hundreds of requests for help from Chinese citizens and assisted dozens of people in finding their missing relatives and friends.

    The embassy will do its best to provide consular protection and assistance to Chinese citizens, keep the consular helpline open, provide timely medical assistance information to the injured, and offer necessary assistance to those who lost their passports in the earthquake.

    A total of 1,644 people died, 3,408 were injured and 139 remained missing in the earthquake in Myanmar, the country’s Information Team of the State Administration Council said on Saturday night.

    A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country on Friday. Several Chinese rescue teams have joined the relief efforts with their Myanmar counterparts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thailand death toll hits 17 after Myanmar quake

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The death toll in the Thai capital of Bangkok from a powerful earthquake that hit neighboring Myanmar rose to 17, with 32 people injured and 83 others remaining missing, local authorities said on Sunday.

    According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), damage has been reported in 18 provinces across Thailand, impacting 420 homes, 48 temples, 76 hospitals, eight buildings, 23 schools, and 18 government offices.

    The situation was under control and affected area assessments were underway, with the probability of aftershocks steadily decreasing, Phasakorn Boonyalak, director general of the DDPM, said in a statement.

    Phasakorn noted that relevant agencies have been providing aid and assessing damage to facilitate assistance in accordance with applicable laws.

    The department has also dispatched an Urban Search and Rescue team with specialized equipment from various disaster prevention and mitigation centers to Bangkok, the hardest-hit area, to aid in rescue efforts, he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese rescue team saves survivor in Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A survivor was rescued Sunday in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, by China’s Yunnan Rescue Medical Team, following a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck the country Friday.

    The elderly man had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of Ottara Thiri Hospital. The Chinese team used life detection equipment to find him and rescued him early Sunday.

    The rescue team, which arrived in Nay Pyi Taw Sunday, immediately joined local Myanmar firefighters to search for survivors. Their collaboration is part of ongoing rescue operations after the earthquake.

    China’s Red Cross Society (RCSC) has also sent urgent humanitarian aid to Myanmar. The supplies, dispatched from Yunnan’s disaster relief center, include 300 tents, 2,000 blankets, 600 folding beds, and relief kits for 2,000 households.

    According to Myanmar’s State Administration Council, the earthquake has killed at least 1,644 people. Rescue teams are working to assist those affected by the disaster.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 13 Chinese nationals injured in earthquake in Myanmar, Chinese embassy says

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    YANGON, March 30 — Thirteen Chinese nationals were injured in the earthquake in Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed on Sunday.

    The embassy said in a written reply to Xinhua that the injured were in Mandalay Province, where most of whom are receiving medical treatment, and some of the injured are urgently transferred to Yangon for treatment.

    As of 11:00 Beijing time on Sunday, the embassy had received and handled hundreds of requests for help from Chinese citizens and assisted dozens of people in finding their missing relatives and friends.

    The embassy will do its best to provide consular protection and assistance to Chinese citizens, keep the consular helpline open, provide timely medical assistance information to the injured, and offer necessary assistance to those who lost their passports in the earthquake.

    A total of 1,644 people died, 3,408 were injured and 139 remained missing in the earthquake in Myanmar, the country’s Information Team of the State Administration Council said on Saturday night.

    A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country on Friday. Several Chinese rescue teams have joined the relief efforts with their Myanmar counterparts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia-China economic, trade cooperation provides mutual benefit, win-win results: official

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Cambodia-China economic, trade cooperation provides mutual benefit, win-win results: official

    PHNOM PENH, March 30 — Cambodia-China economic and trade cooperation has provided tremendous benefits and win-win results, a senior commerce official said on Friday.

    The Cambodian Ministry of Commerce’s Secretary of State and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said key achievements under this cooperation included the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone, the Phnom Penh Sihanoukville Expressway, and the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport.

    “These mega-projects are prime examples of practical cooperation in economics and trade between Cambodia and China and are also the fruits of cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative,” he told Xinhua.

    “These projects have importantly contributed to boosting Cambodia’s economy, trade, manufacturing industry, connectivity infrastructure, tourism, and logistics,” he added.

    Sovicheat said that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to commercial operations in July 2025, will play a vital role in handling the remarkably growing number of tourists.

    “Moreover, the simultaneous entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement on Jan. 1, 2022, have also laid a strong foundation for Cambodia and China to enhance their trade and investment relations,” Sovicheat said.

    Under these trade pacts, a number of Cambodian products, especially high-quality agricultural produce such as milled rice, yellow bananas, mangoes, longans, and peppercorn, as well as some wild aquatic products have been exported to China with preferential tariffs, he added.

    The spokesperson said China is a huge market for made-in-Cambodia products and the two countries enjoy steady and positive trade growth every year.

    He said both countries have also enjoyed good cooperation in e-commerce as many types of made-in-Cambodia products have been put up for sale on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba.

    “China is a trustworthy partner for Cambodia,” he said. “Looking forward, our two-way trade volume will continue to rise, undoubtedly.”

    Sovicheat said since 2023, the two countries have also worked together to develop an “Industrial Development Corridor” and a “Fish and Rice Corridor.”

    “The Industrial Development Corridor is crucial to support the transformation of coastal Sihanoukville into a model multipurpose special economic zone, while the Fish and Rice Corridor is vital to develop modern ecological agriculture near the Tonle Sap Lake,” he said.

    In conclusion, he said, all these cooperation mechanisms will inject stronger momentum into broadening bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations for mutual greater benefits towards building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Service Members Assist with Thai Search and Rescue Efforts

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    U.S. Military personnel from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command meet with first responders at the Search and Rescue Operations Center near the collapsed State Audit Office building in Bangkok, which fell after a 7.7 earthquake hit Thailand and its neighbor countries on March 28, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese rescuers recover survivor in Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A rescue team of China’s Yunnan Province, joined by Myanmar’s rescue forces, retrieved an elderly man in earthquake-hit Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw at 05:00 local time on Sunday.

    The man had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of a hospital in the city. After an overnight emergency rescue, it was the first person rescued by the Chinese team after arriving in the earthquake-stricken area of Myanmar on Saturday.

    The 37-member team from China’s Yunnan Province arrived in Myanmar on Saturday, carrying full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones, drones and other rescue equipment.

    Team members, after landing in Yangon, headed to the hard-hit city of Nay Pyi Taw.

    At 18:30 local time on Saturday, the rescue team arrived in Nay Pyi Taw, immediately starting their work. According to the team, the three-story hospital where it has been working on the rescue, was severely damaged, as the first floor completely collapsed, burying numerous people.

    The rescuers have been using life detectors to find survivors with vital signs under the rubble.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese rescuers start to work in earthquake-hit Myanmar

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    MANDALAY, Myanmar, March 30 — A squad of Chinese volunteers started rescue operations Sunday after they arrived in Mandalay, a Myanmar city severely hit Friday in a 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

    The Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) team is to provide assistance in disaster relief and rescue efforts. Members of the team have started assessment work about damage at quake scenes immediately upon arrival.

    The volunteers departed from Southwest China’s Yunnan Province on Saturday morning.

    Another rescue team sent by Yunnan Province arrived in Myanmar earlier on Saturday morning. The team has started work in Nay Pyi Taw, another badly-affected Myanmar city.

    Myanmar’s authorities said late on Saturday that 1,644 people have died, 3,408 were injured and 139 remained missing in the earthquake in Myanmar, according to the Information Team of the State Administration Council on Saturday night.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA strongly denounces Chinese Foreign Minister Wang’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and false claims regarding Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA strongly denounces Chinese Foreign Minister Wang’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and false claims regarding Taiwan

    Date：2025-03-07
    Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

    March 7, 2025  
    No. 058  

    At a press conference held on March 7 during sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi falsely claimed that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 had once and for all resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN. He also alleged that the “only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is ‘Taiwan, Province of China,’” promoting spurious narratives that distorted the facts and deviated from the truth. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly condemns and expresses strong disappointment at this renewed and blatant attempt to unilaterally disrupt the status quo and this malicious conduct aimed at deceiving and misleading the international community.
     
    As a matter of fact, UNGA Resolution 2758 made no mention of Taiwan throughout its entire text and thus could not have stated that Taiwan was a part of the People’s Republic of China, nor did it legally authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan or the Taiwanese people in the UN and its specialized agencies. China’s deliberate manipulations contradict the principle of universality enshrined in the UN Charter. Additionally, its military provocations in the Taiwan Strait, East and South China Seas, and other areas in recent years have clearly jeopardized peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The claims that China made regarding Taiwan and its actions in the region represent blatant attempts to undermine the status quo.
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung calls on the international community to oppose China’s repeated misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and its attempts to alter the status quo of neither side being subordinate to the other. Minister Lin also urges nations worldwide to jointly condemn China for again resorting to flagrant provocation and disruption of the status quo. MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent and sovereign country; that Taiwan has never been a part of the PRC; and that neither democratic Taiwan nor authoritarian China being subordinate to the other is the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and a long-standing, internationally recognized, and objective fact. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government has the right to represent the 23.5 million people of Taiwan in the UN system and the international arena. The PRC has no right to interfere. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China fuels global innovation through sci-tech cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Stepping into the Zhongguancun International Innovation Center in Beijing, visitors are immediately immersed in a futuristic atmosphere. Robots, showcasing their capabilities in various scenarios — from calligraphy and brewing coffee to dancing and delivering bilingual announcements — make a dazzling impression.

    The ongoing 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference highlights the transformation of Zhongguancun, China’s “Silicon Valley,” into a global innovation hub, marked by groundbreaking technologies and the convergence of global expertise.

    From humanoid robots seen throughout the venues to gene therapy for “blindness treatment” featured at the exhibition center, the five-day event, which began on Thursday, is captivating guests from over 100 countries and regions with China’s emerging industries.

    In addition, the lively discussions and promotions surrounding topics such as the development of ZGC, a world-leading sci-tech park, and the cooperation under the ZGC Global High-Level Think Tank Alliance, are heightening guests’ expectations for technological collaboration aimed at advancing human well-being.

    Humanoid robots walk during a permanent exhibition at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2025.(Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

    Harnessing Cutting-edge Technologies

    Nearly 100 robots from 15 companies are actively engaged throughout the event to enhance the experience of the attendees. More importantly, they showcase how humanoid robots are rapidly advancing to boost productivity and expand their real-world applications, driven by the relentless research and development efforts of various companies.

    For example, a humanoid robot named “Adam” amazed visitors with an elegant dance during the conference, showcasing its advanced full-body motion control. Through the fusion of unique hardware design and reinforcement learning, the development team has enabled Adam to coordinate joint movements precisely, achieving human-like agility and flexibility, explained Anna Leung, brand director of Adam’s developer, PNDbotics AI Co., Ltd.

    “From my perspective, the ability of humanoid robots to integrate vision-driven guidance, limb control, and generalized autonomous operation truly makes them valuable assistants to humans. The most exciting era for humanoid robots, which is the era of productivity, is about to begin,” said Wang He, founder and CTO of Beijing Galbot Co., Ltd., speaking at the opening ceremony.

    During the ceremony, China’s 10 major scientific and technological achievements in 2024 were unveiled, covering cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and gene therapy. The forum has become a key platform for tech companies to showcase their latest innovations.

    Inspired by insights from international experts at the previous ZGC Forum, Beijing Matrix Technologies Co., Ltd. recognized the critical role of material innovation in driving industrial progress. Determined to revolutionize thermal insulation, the company’s CTO, Zhong Feipeng, and his team dedicated eight years to overcoming key technical challenges, ultimately developing a new soft insulation material named Y-Warm.

    Several years ago, they leveraged the Zhongguancun Forum to introduce Y-Warm to the global market. Over the past four years, they have partnered with more than 200 companies from the United States, Europe and Japan, expanding its applications in apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, and medical supplies. “The forum has served as our fast track to innovation and helped us bridge the gap from technology to real-world impact,” Zhong said.

    This photo taken on March 28, 2025 shows the introduction on brain-machine interface systems during a permanent exhibition at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

    Cultivating Innovative Glusters

    At the ZGC International Innovation Center, visitors eagerly tried out XR smart glasses that project high-quality images onto a virtual screen about three meters away. Developed by Beijing NED+AR Display Technology Co., Ltd., the smart glasses are significantly thinner and lighter than traditional VR headsets, while still delivering a large, immersive display.

    The company’s co-founder, Duan Jiaxi, said that this year marks a decade since the company established itself in the Zhongguancun Shijingshan Science Park. “I originally settled here because there were some policy supports, such as rent reduction and investment fund support. We have partnered with some internationally renowned enterprises and completed the C-round investment this year.”

    In recent years, Beijing has used Zhongguancun as a testing ground for new reforms, rolling out pilot policies, improving the business environment, and fostering a supportive ecosystem for emerging industries.

    “Zhongguancun is at the forefront of innovation, and we believe that companies in the general robotics industry should develop here. With its growing industrial ecosystem, we hope to collaborate with algorithm research companies and other partners to refine our products and accelerate the maturity of the humanoid robotics industry,” Leung said.

    Notably, Beijing has built a strong foundation in embodied intelligence robotics, with top research teams, emerging startups, and ideal application scenarios in research, manufacturing, and retail. Leading the way, it introduced an action plan for embodied intelligence this February, setting a national benchmark for the industry.

    With a focus on future industries, Beijing aims to foster a top-tier innovation ecosystem and strengthen its role as a global hub for open innovation.

    The development of Zhongguancun ranked first in the comprehensive evaluation of national high-tech zones in 2024. The total revenue of enterprises above the designated size reached 9.4 trillion yuan (about 1.29 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, up 8 percent year on year.

    People learn about a bionic humanoid robot at the Zhongguancun International Innovation Center during the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2025.
    (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

    Promoting Global Cooperation

    The 2025 ZGC Forum hosted multiple parallel forums to boost global sci-tech cooperation, focusing on topics including carbon neutrality, youth talent development and regional collaboration.

    The ASEAN Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum, for example, brought together representatives from China and ASEAN countries to explore how the two sides can work together to advance innovation cooperation. The Trans-Himalaya Earth Science International Cooperation Forum discussed joint response to major global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, and ecological sustainability.

    At a parallel forum focusing on sci-tech innovation cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK), multiple strategic cooperation agreements were reached.

    Zhongguancun’s Dong-Park will carry out business cooperation with the Korea Innovation Center in China in the field of embodied intelligence and build a platform for technology transfer and cooperation.

    “We hope to strengthen the cooperation in science and technology between China and the ROK in order to promote global competitiveness of enterprises from both countries,” said a representative from the ROK.

    Ebba Lund, CEO of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), emphasized the importance of connections, especially at events like this forum. She noted that such gatherings create valuable opportunities for global innovation. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China pledges 100 million yuan in aid to Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China has decided to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan (approximately 13.9 million U.S. dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency said on Saturday.

    At the request of the Myanmar government, China will also send two rescue teams and supply tents, blankets, first-aid kits, food and drinking water — items that are urgently needed in affected areas, said spokesperson Li Ming.

    The first batch of supplies is scheduled for delivery on Monday, according to the agency. China will offer further assistance based on Myanmar’s needs, it added.

    A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday. The information team of Myanmar’s State Administration Council said 1,002 people have been killed, 2,376 were injured, and 30 remain missing.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Philippine medical team on standby to assist quake-hit Myanmar, Thailand

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Philippines on Saturday said it has been ready to send emergency medical assistance teams to help Myanmar and Thailand after a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, killing over 1,000 people.

    Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the Philippines is ready to deploy three emergency medical assistance teams once international coordination protocols with the affected countries are complete and a request is received.

    The Department of Health could send medical teams “should there be a need for humanitarian medical assistance in Myanmar and Thailand. We are ready,” Herbosa said.

    A few hours after the powerful earthquake on Friday, the Philippine embassies in Myanmar and in Thailand advised Filipinos there to remain calm and vigilant.

    According to the official data, there are approximately 811 Filipinos in Myanmar and 32,950 Filipinos in Thailand.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Red Cross sends aid to quake-hit Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has sent emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar following a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday, the RCSC said on Saturday.

    Emergency relief supplies, to be distributed through the Myanmar Red Cross Society, include 300 tents, 2,000 blankets, 600 folding beds and relief kits for 2,000 affected households. The supplies have been dispatched from a disaster relief center in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, the RCSC said in a press release.

    An international RCSC rescue team has also departed for Myanmar with necessary equipment to carry out humanitarian relief operations. The RCSC has said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide further assistance as needed.

    The information team of Myanmar’s State Administration Council on Saturday said that at least 1,002 people have been killed, 2,376 have been injured, and 30 are missing as a result of the earthquake.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodian PM expresses condolences over quake tragedy in Myanmar, Thailand

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Saturday expressed his condolences to the governments and peoples of Myanmar and Thailand over a massive earthquake on Friday afternoon.

    In a condolence message to Myanmar’s State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Cambodian leader said he was profoundly saddened to hear about the devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar, resulting in the tragic loss of lives, injuries, and widespread damage to property.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, and we hope for the swift recovery of those injured,” Hun Manet said.

    “Cambodia stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar during this challenging time,” he said.

    In another condolence letter to his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Hun Manet said he had learnt, with profound sadness, about the loss of lives, many injuries and severe damage to properties caused by the powerful earthquake in Bangkok.

    “I wish the injured a full and speedy recovery,” he said.

    At least 1,644 people died, 3,408 were injured, and 139 remained missing after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar on Friday, the Information Team of Myanmar’s State Administration Council reported.

    The devastating temblor also affected Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Shinawatra on Friday announced a state of emergency in Bangkok.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: India-US trade talks held in New Delhi

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Trade officials from India and the United States concluded their four-day parleys on Saturday, with both sides resolving to deepen bilateral cooperation in priority areas, including increasing market access, said a statement issued by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

    The officials decided to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, and deepen supply chain integration in a mutually beneficial manner, added the statement.

    The trade talks were held as a follow-up to the February India-U.S. Joint Statement, in which the two sides agreed to expand bilateral trade to reach 500 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, including through the conclusion of a Bilateral Trade Agreement.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sticks to opening up despite growing global protectionism

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An aerial drone photo shows a view of Yangpu International Container Port in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Danzhou, south China’s Hainan Province, Jan. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

    As protectionism surges across the globe, bringing in economic headwinds, China is doubling down on opening its doors and positioning itself as a stabilizing force in an increasingly fractured global economy.

    This message was front and center during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with representatives of the international business community on Friday, where he said that China has been and will remain an ideal, secure and promising destination for foreign investors.

    For more than four decades, China’s reform and opening-up has fundamentally transformed the country and impacted the wider world. Today, China remains the locomotive of the world economy, contributing about 30 percent to global growth.

    International businesses have thrived in China’s vast and dynamic market, with numerous success stories of win-win cooperation. Today, the appeal of the Chinese market remains stronger than ever, with its growing and increasingly sophisticated consumer base offering unparalleled opportunities.

    China’s ongoing transition toward a greener and smarter economy is unlocking new frontiers for innovation and industrial cooperation. Despite external pressures, the country’s business environment continues to evolve toward greater transparency and predictability, ensuring a stable foundation for long-term investment.

    Staff workers assemble an offshore wind turbine in the waters of Laizhou City, east China’s Shandong Province, Nov. 15, 2022. (Photo by Lin Songfei/Xinhua)

    Stability has become a defining trait of China amid geopolitical turbulence, providing a socio-economic environment that investors find reassuring. As global markets grapple with rising uncertainty, China serves as a stabilizing force, promoting shared growth over zero-sum competition.

    The message of cooperation was also echoed at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025, held this week on the tropical island of Hainan. Rather than focusing solely on trade figures and policy targets, discussions at the forum underscored China’s efforts to foster a more open, inclusive global economy, one that embraces innovation, strengthens supply chains, and deepens cooperation in areas such as green development and digital trade.

    As noted by scholars like Ian Goldin, professor of globalization and development at the University of Oxford, China recognizes the necessity of global cooperation, not just for its own future but for the broader world as well.

    History has shown that openness leads to progress, and cooperation — not fragmentation — drives prosperity. In the turbulent times, China’s unwavering commitment to opening-up is not only crucial for its own growth but for the future of the global economy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: AUT Dean’s outburst shows virus of racism alive and well in universities

    Source: ACT Party

    “A racist outburst from the Dean of the AUT Law School targeting an ACT MP on the basis of her being an immigrant reveals exactly why we need the Treaty Principles Bill,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

    In response to Dr Parmjeet Parmar’s draft bill to stop the allocation of university resources based on race, Khylee Quince posted on Facebook: ‘Alternative headline: Immigrant forgets where she lives.’

    Dr Parmar has responded, saying: “I am a New Zealand citizen and I am not here at Ms Quince’s mercy, or anyone’s mercy. I know exactly where I live: in a democracy where everyone has the right to freedom from discrimination. Including immigrants.“

    “This law school Dean believes immigrants should be singled out for different treatment,” says Mr Seymour.

    “The Vice Chancellor needs to stop this rhetoric. How many immigrant students study law at AUT? Should they be treated differently with demands to ‘remember where they live?’

    “In another time that would be called racism. But it’s 2025 and institutions like universities have cloaked that kind of view with respectability.

    “Of course, all New Zealand citizens are either immigrants or descended from immigrants. It’s extraordinary that we need to debate whether some citizens should have the same basic rights as other citizens, but here we are.

    “Whether the Treaty promised equal rights is a civil rights issue, and our major institutions are on the wrong side of history. They’re experiencing collective brain rot.

    “Universities are infecting the minds of young people with the virus of identity politics. Journalism and law schools are pumping out young left-wing activists who believe tangata whenua and tangata tiriti should have different rights.

    “The courts, of course, have decided the Treaty is a partnership requiring different rights for different groups. The question is, what will our elected Parliament decide when it’s asked to take a stand?”

    Editor’s note: AUT Dean of Law Khylee Quince has previously drawn attention for saying Gary Judd KC “can go die quietly in the corner” for opposing compulsory tikanga studies at law schools.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Traffic control in place after burst pipe, Washington Road

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)


    District:

    Police are assisting with traffic control on Washington Road, Nelson, after a water pipe has burst.

    Diversions are in place near Pioneers Park.

    Motorists are asked to avoid the area, if possible.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA sincerely thanks Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting resolution backing Taiwan and highlighting fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA sincerely thanks Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting resolution backing Taiwan and highlighting fact that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan

    Date：2025-03-21
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    March 21, 2025  
    No. 079  

    The Chamber of Representatives of Belgium adopted a resolution on March 20 expressing concern over the growing threat of China to Taiwan. It passed with an overwhelming majority of 126 votes in favor, none against, and 13 abstentions. The resolution called on the government of Belgium to condemn through diplomatic channels China’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan and to demand that China alleviate tensions, end all provocations, and respect the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. It further noted that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not take a position on Taiwan, and urged the Belgian government to clarify this fact at the United Nations. 
     
    In addition, the resolution advocated for the Belgian government to work with European partners to play an active role in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, and pursue an economic agreement with Taiwan at the European Union-level to strengthen supply chain resilience. It also called on all levels of government in Belgium to collectively foster economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation with Taiwan; support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other international organizations; and continue to enhance civil society and media exchanges with Taiwan to jointly combat disinformation. 
     
    The resolution was introduced by Representative Els Van Hoof, Co-president of the Belgium-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Belgian Chamber of Representatives adopted Taiwan-friendly resolutions in November 2015 and July 2020. This latest resolution was the first to condemn China’s threats against Taiwan and the first to be passed by the current Belgian parliament since it opened last July, which was of special significance to the advancement of Taiwan-Belgium relations. 
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for its support and emphasizes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will build on the existing solid foundation to steadily deepen substantive exchanges and friendly cooperation between Taiwan and Belgium. (E) 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA and Ministry of Agriculture to form new smart agriculture advisory team to promote Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    March 24, 2025No. 082In a cross-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on March 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih decided to form a new smart agriculture advisory team. The team will bring together public and private resources from the government, industry, academia, research institutions, the agricultural industry, and other sectors. In the spirit of integrated diplomacy, the new group will jointly implement a smart agriculture flagship plan under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. Through coordination with diplomatic allies and friendly countries, the plan will enhance AI and digital technology applications in precision agriculture and other areas. Taiwan will work with partner countries to develop new smart agriculture, promote an agricultural Taiwan+n model (where n refers to a growing number of partners), and help the Taiwanese agricultural industry expand globally. Collaboration between Taiwan, partner countries, and friendly nations will also strengthen global food security, improve agricultural sustainability and resilience, and deliver a concerted response to the challenges of climate change.During the meeting at MOA, Minister Lin, Minister Chen, and their staff discussed how to expand agricultural cooperation projects with allies and friendly countries and create reciprocal and mutually beneficial business opportunities. They explored ways to assist countries in upgrading and transforming their farming sectors, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and achieving sustainable development. Potential avenues included technical cooperation, professional training, the establishment of demonstration sites, and business and investment matchmaking. The officials also discussed how to train young farmers and specialists in new smart agriculture both in Taiwan and target countries to give them a competitive edge.Meanwhile, the ministers deliberated on three key projects—expanding agricultural cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines under the Executive Yuan’s economic diplomacy task force, further promoting smart aquacultural cooperation with Palau to develop its tourism industry, and exploring the possibility of cooperation to establish a seedling center in the Caribbean. They also exchanged views on organizing an agricultural trade goodwill mission to the United States in September.The agricultural industry is the bedrock of Taiwan’s economy and food security. President Lai Ching-te’s National Project of Hope includes the promotion of agricultural transformation and advancement to achieve sustainable resilience. The Executive Yuan’s Smart Taiwan 2.0 initiative also develops creative applications across various sectors. Under these policies and based on the new agriculture section of the Five Plus Two Industrial Innovation program, Minister Lin has launched a raft of new initiatives. These include promoting the concept of new smart agriculture; expanding applications of AI and smart solutions in agricultural production, management, and marketing; collaborating with MOA’s smart agriculture alliances; transforming agriculture to become smarter and more sustainable; and creating an international fleet focused on Taiwan’s new smart agriculture.Looking ahead, MOFA and MOA will continue working with partners from various sectors to assist diplomatic allies and friendly countries in adopting smart agricultural technology to enhance food security, realize sustainable development, and create shared prosperity and mutual benefits. In line with President Lai’s vision for sustainable resilience, the ministries will further contribute to global agricultural development and food security. MOFA and MOA will jointly support the efforts of Taiwanese agricultural businesses to expand their presence in the international market and ensure that Taiwan remains a thriving global economic powerhouse. (E) 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –