COVID-19 remains biggest challenge for Southeast Asia in 2021: survey
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts remain the largest challenges for the Southeast Asian region in 2021, according to the State of Southeast Asia 2021 survey report announced by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute on February 10.
Vietnamese people wear face mask to prevent COVID-19. (Photo: VNA)
Singapore (VNA) - The COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts remain thelargest challenges for the Southeast Asian region in 2021, according to theState of Southeast Asia 2021 survey report announced by the ASEAN StudiesCentre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute on February 10.
A total 1,032 respondents from tenASEAN member states participated in the online survey which drew from fivecategories of affiliation: academia/research, business/finance, government,civil-society/non-governmental/media and regional/international organisations.
The SoutheastAsia is preoccupied with the COVID-19 and recovery process. Seventy-six percentof the respondents believed that the threat to health from COVID-19 iscurrently the region’s most pressing concern. Meanwhile, unemployment and economicrecession came second (63 percent), followed by the socio-economic gaps andincome disparity (40.7 percent). The majorityof Southeast Asians (60.7 percent) approve of their governments’ response tothe pandemic.
In terms of COVID-19 fight leadership, respondents vote almostequally for Singapore (32.7 percent) and Vietnam (31.1 percent) for providingbest leadership to ASEAN.
ASEAN continues to express concernsover the East Sea issue, and regional people said the issue should be settlebased on respect of international law./.
The spread of COVID-19 around the world created difficulties for businesses in promoting their products and seeking new customers but many were prompted to change trade promotion strategies and adapt.
Since the start of the pandemic last year, many fake news reports about COVID-19 have been posted on social media. At the same time, the Ministry of a Digital Economy and Society has been collecting evidence and has finally issued arrest warrants for the fake news posters.
Vietnam documented one locally-transmitted COVID-19 case in the northern province of Bac Giang in the past 12 hours as of 6 am on February 10, taking the national tally from the latest outbreak to 484 cases, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Ho Chi Minh City-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport on February 9 activated a system disinfecting luggage of its passengers to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
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.
Vietnamese people wear face mask to prevent COVID-19. (Photo: VNA) 
