China opens freight train route linked with ASEAN countries
A new freight train service linking central China's Hunan province and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was launched by China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd on March 31.
A new freight train service linking central China's Hunan province and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was launched on March 31 (Photo: urdupoint.com)
Hanoi (VNA) - A new freight train service linking central China's Hunan province and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was launched by China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd on March 31.
Xinhua News Agency reported that a cargo train loaded with industrial products such as silicon dioxide and hot rolled bars left Hunan in the morning of the same day.
It will arrive in Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi in about seven days via south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The route is expected to operate on a weekly basis after a three-month trial run. It is expected to further boost trade between ASEAN countries and Hunan.
ASEAN was China's largest trading partner last year. Data showed that in 2020, the total trade volume between the 10 ASEAN countries and Hunan reached 81.03 billion CNY (about 12.35 billion USD), a year-on-year increase of 30.9 percent, and accounted for 16.6 percent of Hunan's total foreign trade.
The ASEAN-Hunan trade volume further soared by 86.3 percent against the same period last year to 10.15 billion CNY in the first two months of 2021./.
The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has injected new momentum into the economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and China, a Singaporean scholar told Xinhua News Agency.
If Vietnam and China can further optimise their neighbourliness as well as the huge trade potential under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), bilateral trade will reach a new height, an official said at an online business matching event on December 17.
Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to further enhance ASEAN-China relations at their meeting in Brunei on January 14.
The mammoth trade deal Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to unlock more export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products, according to insiders.
The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) forecast the ASEAN+3 region will expand by 6.7 percent this year and 4.9 percent in 2022, after contracting marginally by 0.2 percent in 2020.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
Aircraft are prohibited from flying below 6,000 metres in the vicinity of the volcano, and should also remain alert to the presence of volcanic ash, which can disrupt flights.