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One of the day I decided to go outside Paris for shopping I had to take their metro and then change to a train, a double decker train

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Laos-debt-pressure-raises-specter-of-a-China-vassal-state?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220906190000&seq_num=2&si=44594 Laos owes more than half its foreign debt to China, including "hidden obligations," and experts say the Southeast Asian country could end up bartering away land and resources for relief. © Illustration by Hiroko Aida Laos' debt pressure raises specter of a China vassal state Echoes of Sri Lanka on the Mekong as muzzled public seethes over economic woes MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentSeptember 6, 2022 06:00 JST NONG KHAI, Thailand -- At gas stations in Nong Khai, a quiet Thai town on the western banks of the Mekong River, streams of vehicles pulling up reveal the troubles across the waterway in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The drivers with Laotian license plates come with two requests: a full tank, and extra fuel for the 20-liter containers they have on board. Many roll up in high-end SUVs or sleek Mercedes-Benzes, popular among the wealthy few in their impoverished country. "Some of the drivers are regulars, known to us, and they complain about the high price or short supply" of gas back in Laos, said Kiri Malaya, a station attendant, as he filled up a black Range Rover and a blue jerrycan. Kiri has been busier since June. By that month, Laos' gasoline prices were up by 107.1% on the year. But fuel is not the only item on the shopping lists of Laotians who cross the nearby bridge connecting the two countries. An office worker from Vientiane said she comes for household staples like soap, detergent, clothes and even food, since "some are not available in the shops or are now more expensive than before." A baker, struggling with rising costs of ingredients, said, "I have to find new supplies that are cheaper." Living under a communist regime notorious for its oppression and opaqueness, they and other Laotians avoid complaining openly, apart from whispers and rare outbursts of anger on social media. Nong Khai, however, offers a vantage point on their hardships and the risks their China-reliant country faces. Experts have warned the strongmen of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party that there are multiple economic land mines in their midst. The $18 billion economy's depleted foreign reserves and its unsustainable foreign debt -- much of it owed to China for large-scale infrastructure projects like a multibillion-dollar railway -- have prompted some to compare Laos to Sri Lanka. The bankrupt South Asian island ran out of dollars to service its foreign obligations in April, becoming the first country in the region to default in decades. A view of the Mekong river bordering Thailand and Laos is seen from the Thai side at Nong Khai in 2019. The town offers a vantage point on the Laotian economic crisis. © Reuters In Laos, "the macroeconomic situation is very challenging," said Alex Kremer, country manager at the World Bank. The bank warned in May that many in the nation of about 7 million were "at risk of falling into poverty, especially in towns and cities," as prices rise faster than incomes. Overall inflation hit 25.6% in July, according to official statistics. Kremer said that structural weaknesses "have been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a deteriorating global macroeconomic environment and the rapid depreciation of the Lao kip," the local currency. A year ago, the exchange rate was about 9,400 kip to the dollar. By mid-2022, some exchange outlets in Vientiane were listing rates of about 15,000 kip per dollar. On the black market, the figure was even higher, at about 19,000 kip. The crumbling local currency has prompted Thai analysts to sound the alarm over a severe shortage of foreign reserves in Laos, currently estimated to be roughly $1.3 billion. That is enough to cover only 2.2 months of imports, and will make it a squeeze to service $1.3 billion in foreign debts this year. The country is "suffering from twin deficits -- fiscal deficit and current-account deficit -- amid thin foreign exchange reserves," said Sathit Talaengsataya, a senior economist at Thailand's Krungsri Research. He said that over the past decade, Laos has run fiscal deficits equivalent to 3% to 4% of gross domestic product annually, requiring substantial external financing and resulting in the current-account deficit averaging more than 10% of GDP. Sathit called this a "chronic problem" necessitating an immediate "reset of the economy." Some shaken Laotian leaders have made rare admissions about the country's dire straits. Bounleua Sinxayvoravong, who was appointed central bank governor in June after his predecessor was fired, hinted at the panic in an address to party apparatchiks in the National Assembly. "From the start of 2021 to the first quarter of this year, Laos should have received $9.81 billion, however, only 32% of this entered the banking system of our country," he said, according to local reports. Yet the leadership is coy about how deeply their country is indebted to China, and the potential implications. AidData, a research lab at William & Mary college in the U.S., calculates that Laos racked up $5.57 billion in official debts to China during a borrowing spree from 2000 to 2017. Even that "is only the tip of the iceberg," said Bradley Parks, executive director at AidData. "Laos also has an unusually high level of hidden public debt exposure to China -- an additional $6.69 billion," he said, or about 35% of GDP. AidData defines hidden debts as those contracted by entities wholly or partially owned by the government of Laos but without an explicit sovereign repayment guarantee. Consequently, Laos' total "debt exposure to China is worth approximately $12.2 billion, or 64.8% of GDP," Parks told Nikkei Asia. The World Bank estimated that total public and publicly guaranteed debts stood at 88% of GDP in 2021. But since the World Bank's figure excludes Laos' hidden public debts to China, Parks said, "the country's true level of public debt exposure to all creditors is most likely north of 120% of GDP." "There is no other country in the world with a higher level of public debt exposure to China as a percentage of host country GDP," he added. Not surprisingly, the danger of Laos following Sri Lanka into default has grown, since its annual foreign debt bill averages $1.3 billion until 2025, according to the World Bank. In June, global ratings agency Moody's lowered Laos' credit rating further into junk territory. "Default risk will remain high given very weak governance, a very high debt burden and insufficient coverage of external debt maturities by foreign exchange reserves," Moody's said. This has sparked a diplomatic scramble by Laotian leaders seeking help from China as well as Vietnam and longtime ally Russia, according to seasoned observers familiar with politics in Vientiane. In May, the government invited ambassadors from the three countries for a discussion with relevant agencies and private banks to "resolve the current economic crisis," said Japanese scholar Norihiko Yamada, a Laos specialist who has worked in many government ministries there. "The results and the content of the consultations are not yet known, but it is possible that not only China but also Vietnam and Russia [may get involved] in assisting Laos," he said. Other experts think Laos may benefit from a shift in China's thinking on the debt loads of developing countries. While Beijing has appeared reluctant to restructure Sri Lanka's debt, observers note that it has thrown lifelines to some African countries straining under loan obligations -- largely owed to China for Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects, as in Laos. A high-speed railway linking Vientiane with China's Kunming, launched last December, has contributed to Laos' mountain of debt to China. © Reuters "Interest-free loans, especially to African countries, have been cancelled several times," Mengdi Yue and Christoph Nedopil Wang of the Green Finance and Development Center, a think tank at Shanghai's Fudan University, said in an email exchange with Nikkei. "China has officially expressed its stance on several occasions that it will work with other multilateral and bilateral creditors to tackle debt crises in developing countries." Some argue that countries like Laos -- one of 17 "least developed" countries where China is the single largest bilateral lender, according to the Green Finance and Development Center -- are so enmeshed with Beijing's interests that it has no option but to help. Patrick Mendis, a visiting professor of global affairs at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan and a former U.S. diplomat, said Chinese lending under the "Beijing Consensus" development model is designed on "connectivity" to China's national and security interests. Failing to assist Laos "is not an option for Beijing," Mendis said. Yet any relief efforts are also under wraps. "The Chinese offered $800 million in debt relief to Laos over the past two years, and that gave the Laos government breathing room for external financing pressures," said Jeremy Zook, Hong Kong-based director of sovereign ratings and the lead analyst for Laos at Fitch, the ratings agency. "There are other discussions going on between Laos and China about the nature of future debt relief or debt restructuring to ease the near-term burden, but it is difficult to get an accurate read." The handling of Laos' unpaid debts to China in the past may provide clues -- and hint at a bailout that could turn the Southeast Asian country into an economic vassal state. Previous debt-relief options have ranged from swaps for equity in Laotian state entities to carving out land to pacify Chinese creditors. "There is certainly some historical precedent for bartering land and natural resources to repay foreign debts in Laos or to support domestic infrastructure," said Keith Barney, an academic at the Australian National University in Canberra. Vientiane boasts of such a swap. Laos' government handed over a marsh to build a special economic zone as part of a deal to repay the Chinese, who had built a $100 million National Stadium in time for the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, which Laos hosted. "This is part of the idea of 'turning land into capital,' which was a key development slogan of Laos and implicit policy through the 2000s," Barney said. Laos' government handed over a marsh to build a special economic zone as part of a deal to repay the Chinese, who had built a $100 million National Stadium for the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane. © AP But will the Laotian public remain silent spectators if their country is carved up by China, debt by debt? Public sentiment has already turned sour against the one-party, socialist state as the mismanaged economy and dollar crunch make it increasingly difficult to pay for essential imports like fuel and cooking gas. "The word on the street among Laotians in business is that the country is becoming a failed state," a Thai investment consultant who has clients in Vientiane told Nikkei. "Never before has the Laotian public been so angry with the government. ... Its legitimacy to rule is being shredded."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Huawei-unveils-Mate-50-phone-that-links-with-China-s-own-GPS-system?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220906190000&seq_num=5&si=44594 Huawei unveils Mate 50 phone that links with China's own GPS system Satellite feature aims to get around U.S. 5G curbs and outshine Apple Huawei's Mate 50 smartphone line will allow users to send messages using China's BeiDou satellite system. (Photo from screenshot of Huawei launch event) CHENG TING-FANG, Nikkei Asia chief tech correspondentSeptember 6, 2022 15:51 JSTUpdated on September 6, 2022 17:24 JST TAIPEI -- Huawei Technologies has included satellite communications capabilities in its latest flagship smartphone as the Chinese tech conglomerate attempts to get around U.S. restrictions on its access to 5G wireless technologies. The Mate 50 series will allow users to send short messages and map out routes using the BeiDou navigation satellite system, the Chinese version of the more widely used Global Positioning System developed by the U.S. Air Force. Huawei is the first major smartphone maker to roll out such a feature, beating out market leaders like Apple, which is also working on satellite connectivity. The BeiDou network achieved worldwide coverage in 2020, a major milestone in Beijing's efforts to create its own system for future communications, navigation and scientific research that does not rely on GPS or other global navigation systems, which include Russia's GLONASS, the European Union's Galileo and the IRNSS program developed by India. "It will be the world's first smartphone to support message links with the BeiDou navigation satellite network. We are set to open a new commercial era of the mass use of such satellite technologies," said Richard Yu, Huawei's executive director and CEO of its consumer business group. Huawei, which has been operating under a U.S. crackdown since 2018, still has no access to the type of premium 5G mobile chips that are already standard in flagship phones from Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi. Its smartphone shipments declined to just 37.5 million units for all of 2021, from 240.6 million in 2019, when it was the world's second-largest handset maker, after Samsung, according to IDC data. The Chinese tech champion was forced to sell its budget phone line Honor in late 2020. The former unit has been betting big on global expansion, recently launching a series of smartphones, tablets and laptop computers during the IFA Berlin electronics fair. Honor also pledged to bring its premium foldable phone to Europe by early 2023. Satellite communications have a long history in military and disaster management applications, as they can operate in remote areas such as deserts, jungles and open oceans that lack conventional communication or location services. Wireless mobile internet, by comparison, relies on nearby base stations for data transfers and phone calls. Huawei's latest phone will come with Qualcomm's 4G version of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile chipset. Instead of Google's Android operating system, which the company can no longer use due to U.S. restrictions, the Mate 50 will come with Huawei's own Harmony OS. The company has also developed its own cutting-edge materials to a more shatter-proof glass cover make the glass cover of the phones more drop- and-crash resistant. Dubbed "Kunlun glass, Huawei developed the material an alterative to Corning's Gorilla glass. Huawei's Yu said the Mate 50 models also have more advanced cameras and are equipped with smart text-to-voice features that allow users to answer phone calls by typing, as well as with instant interpretation functions. Jeff Pu, an analyst with Haitong International Securities, said Huawei used a chip from developer CETC Acoustic-Optic-Electronic Technology to support satellite communications features. He said Huawei's move could open a new frontier in the commercial use of such technologies in electronics devices. "Currently, only Chinese chip developers are allowed to design chips that link to China's BeiDou. It's a business unique to Chinese companies," Pu said. But Huawei's breakthrough does not necessarily mean that users will be sending messages or making calls via satellite all the time, he added. "That could consume a lot of battery power and could be very expensive." Joey Yen, an analyst with IDC, told Nikkei Asia that Huawei has potentially opened up a new front in the global war for tech dominance. "The tech battleground has further advanced from 5G and AI to space and navigation satellite technologies."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-tensions/Taiwan-report-sounds-alarm-over-China-hybrid-warfare-capabilities?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220901123000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Taiwan report sounds alarm over China hybrid warfare capabilities Taipei warns it will counterattack if Chinese forces enter territorial waters or airspace This Taiwanese air base on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait is on high alert amid China's ongoing provocations. (Photo by Yu Nakamura) YU NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 1, 2022 00:09 JST TAIPEI -- China plans to use hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks and disinformation along with conventional armed forces, in its efforts to unify Taiwan with the mainland, the Taiwanese defense ministry warns in a new report. The annual report on Chinese military capabilities finds that Beijing is already capable of using electronic warfare to damage Taiwanese infrastructure and cut off some military communications. It also expresses concern over military buildup around the Taiwan Strait and notes that China has been expanding military airfields along the coast within its Eastern Theater Command, which covers Taiwan, and the Southern Theater Command, which includes the South China Sea. The report was submitted Wednesday to the Legislative Yuan. In a news conference that day, the ministry discussed the recent state of so-called gray zone operations by China -- tactics that aim to harm Taiwan without going as far as an armed attack. It confirmed that Chinese drones have repeatedly flown near areas including the Kinmen Islands -- Taiwan-controlled islets near the Chinese mainland. If Chinese military aircraft or ships come within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan, Taipei will "exercise the right of self-defense," said Maj. Gen. Lin Wen-huang, head of planning at the defense ministry. Taiwan fired warning shots Tuesday at Chinese drones flying near the Kinmen Islands -- a first for Taipei in this context. Amid mounting pressure from Beijing, Taiwan's government proposed Aug. 25 a record defense budget of 586.3 billion New Taiwan dollars ($19.3 billion) for 2023, a 13.9% increase from this year.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Supply-Chain/Thailand-monsoon-floods-threaten-to-disrupt-supply-chains?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220901123000&seq_num=17&si=44594 Thailand monsoon floods threaten to disrupt supply chains Manufacturers consider exodus to Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia A flood gate along the edge of the Chao Phraya River in the historic city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on Aug. 29. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu) YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 1, 2022 01:42 JST BANGKOK -- Thailand's monsoon season has shifted into high gear, flooding rivers and inundating farmland as foreign companies brace for the damage to reach industrial parks. In the historic city of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a 2.5 meter flood gate was installed in late August at Buddhist temple Wat Chaiwattanaram, which sits on the bank of Chao Phraya River. The water appeared near its crest. "Water levels rise every year. They will increase even more starting in September," said a guard at the temple. Thailand's rainy season begins in June, and flood risks increase in September and October as the season winds down. The country has recorded more than 60 river overflows in the past 50 years. Foreign businesses, a major pillar of the country's economic growth, have already begun to avoid Thailand due to rising wages, opting for Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Heightened flood risks may lead to more companies leaving. Roughly 350 sq. kilometers of rice paddies in the northeastern agricultural region, were flooded as of late August, government satellite images show. A large dam on the Chao Phraya River still has ample storage capacity compared with the severe flooding of 2011. But sustained heavy rainfall could cause flood damage to industrial and urban areas. The flooding in 2011 caused damaged to the facilities of about 800 companies, including Japanese manufacturers, resulting in $35 billion in losses. A Honda Motor factory was so severely damaged that it took six months to reopen. A Toyota Motor assembly plant was spared damage but supply disruptions forced the automaker to suspend or cut production, including in nearby countries. "Major flood risks remain," said Masahiro Hayashi, a risk consultant at Tokio Marine Safety Insurance (Thailand). Major industrial parks have built floodgates and installed other measures, but flood draining efforts by the government have been delayed, due in part to repeated periods of political instability. Even if industrial estates are protected, inundation in the surrounding areas would cut off supply chains. The challenge is even more complicated by the peculiarities of the Chao Phraya. It has an extensive drainage basin while the elevation at Ayutthaya is only 2 meters higher than Bangkok, about 100 km downstream. This prevents floodwater from receding quickly, and flooding lasted several months in 2011. "Compared with neighboring nations in Southeast Asia, river flooding risks are exceptionally high," Hayashi said.

https://asia.nikkei.com/static/vdata/infographics/china-spends-more-on-controlling-its-1-dot-4bn-people-than-on-defense/ China spends more on controlling its 1.4bn people than on defense Silencing dissent also nips innovation in the bud Aug. 29, 2022 It emerged in the central Chinese province of Henan in June that local authorities had abused an anti-COVID app to contain the movements of more than 1,300 people. Yang, who lives in Shandong Province, is one of them. On the morning of June 13, Yang arrived on a night train at his destination, Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan. As the train approached the station, he could not believe his eyes as his "health code" smartphone app turned red. In China, authorities track the location of citizens. If they are suspected of having come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, their health code apps turn red and they face strict restrictions on their movements. Yang had no recollection of getting close to any infected person. But upon arrival at the station, he got another surprise: Officials told him he must leave Henan, and they took him away. Yang was visiting Henan to withdraw 230,000 yuan ($34,000) from a local bank. In Henan, multiple banks had refused to allow withdrawals since April, sparking a flood of protests by depositors. Local authorities feared that this would be viewed by the central government as a failure if the demonstrations spread. They rushed to cover up the inconvenient truth under the guise of the fight against COVID-19. Demonstrators holds up signs during a protest over the freezing of deposits by some rural-based banks, outside a People's Bank of China building in Zhengzhou, Henan. © Reuters China's zero-COVID policy of containing the virus through strict social controls has sent shock waves around the world. As President Xi Jinping's government pursues its policy of tolerating no infections, local governments across the country are going too far in tightening their stranglehold on ordinary people. On April 14, a video of a scuffle between police and residents of a housing complex protesting against an eviction notice in Shanghai, which was under lockdown, went viral on social media in China. As the residents shouted to police to leave the housing complex, police officers wearing white protective suits moved in en masse to detain them. Screams could be heard. Shanghai was locked down from the end of March, with 25 million residents banned from going out. Some were even forcibly evicted from their homes. Live videos of citizens suffering from food shortages or police behaving violently were posted on social media one after another, leaving authorities scrambling to delete them. A Shanghai sidewalk lies blocked due to discarded cartons believed to have been used for food rations. The street has been impassable since mid-May. © Kyodo But China's leadership under Xi did not waver. In May, it pledged to firmly fight any words and actions that question or reject the country's COVID-control policy and began to further increase its control over the internet. Once a state starts to move strongly in a given direction, it cannot stop easily by itself. According to a U.S.-China joint study published in the journal Nature Medicine, if China eases its zero-COVID policy, it will suffer a devastating blow because the effectiveness of the widely used Chinese-made vaccines is low. The study specifically warned that if China eases the policy, the number of people who show symptoms could rise to 112 million, and 1.6 million people could die in half a year. The Xi government's prestige is at stake. It cannot modify its COVID policy because it cannot let itself depend on vaccines made in Western nations. After taking the helm of the Communist Party as its general secretary in 2012, Xi launched a "zero tolerance" anti-corruption campaign. The move to try to do things perfectly has now spread to everything. The public security bureau of the Shanghai municipal government boasts high achievements. According to the bureau, the arrest rates in 2021 were 96% for burglaries such as sneak thefts and 100% for pickpocketing on subway trains. The bureau installed street cameras in all residential areas and commercial buildings by 2021, expanding the coverage of its surveillance system. The number of robbery cases in 2020 stood at 72, down a whopping 98% from the peak recorded in 2000. It is becoming more likely that the number will decline to zero. Although China is getting close to the ideal of a crime-free society thanks to technology, the price it must pay is by no means small. China's "public safety" spending, which is used to maintain public order and control speech at home, reached $210 billion in 2020. The amount more than doubled in 10 years. China's national defense spending is growing rapidly and closing in on that of the United States. But China's public safety spending was as much as 7% higher than its national defense spending in 2020. That is not all. Pent-up frustration among the public is growing further as the crackdown begins to grow excessive. The village of Wukan in Guangdong Province, once known as "Democracy Village," is now teeming with surveillance cameras. In China, a slang word making fun of police, meaning literally "a falling young man," has trended on social media since late June. It all started when a woman in her 40s and her father got into an argument with a male police officer in Dandong, in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. The woman and her father were stopped by the police officer on their way to a hospital. The officer cited the color of her health code as the reason. An argument broke out between them, and the woman was detained for 10 days on suspicion of obstruction of justice. A mocking video of the police officer, who pretended to have fallen during the confrontation, has gone viral. Public distrust of authorities has deepened due to the zero-COVID policy, and the fruits of people's frustration are being spread on the internet one after another. A vigorous and technologically innovative society can be created only where various opinions are allowed to clash. The more China tries to contain all differing opinions and control everything, the more it will also grow apart from the rest of the world. When the public reaction to this finally comes, "Great China" will find itself diminished. Patriotic reign blowing up in Hong Kong Government squeezes public opinion polls In April, yet another person who has supported Hong Kong's democracy left the city. On a flight bound for the U.K., Chung Kim-wah, a former assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said in a Facebook post, "In the current Hong Kong, there is no room for sincere words, only lies." Chung had been summoned by police three times in connection with the polling organization where he worked, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. He wrote on Facebook, "Hong Kong may no longer be a place to live without intimidation." The HKPORI was inaugurated with a research department at the University of Hong Kong as its parent. It has conducted highly reliable surveys that many Hong Kong researchers refer to. But its surveys have also sometimes reflected public opinion that China finds inconvenient. Since the Hong Kong national security law came into effect in the summer of 2020, pro-democracy media outlets, labor unions and other organizations have been forced to disband one after another. The institute is now rumored to be the next target. The Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, once a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party, has been forced to shut down. © Reuters The HKPORI conducted a survey ahead of the 2021 election for the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's lawmaking body. The survey asked Hong Kong people a multiple-choice question on how they would vote in the election. But the choice of "casting a blank vote" was criticized as "manipulating public opinion and destroying the electoral system." The institute's surveys about the zero-COVID policy and Russia's invasion of Ukraine were also seen as problems. Chinese government-affiliated media concluded that those surveys "lack a scientific basis" and that the institute "is suspected to be colluding with foreign forces." The environment surrounding opinion polls is becoming harsh. According to Tetsuro Kobayashi, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong, some pollees do not answer political questions honestly, while some researchers refrain from asking sensitive questions. "Basic information such as the support rate for pro-democracy forces has become difficult to see, leading to [Hong Kong's] civil society shrinking," Kobayashi said. When lashing out at the institute, pro-China forces in Hong Kong frequently cite surveys by other organizations such as the Bauhinia Institute and OrangeNews. These surveys show completely different results from the HKPORI's surveys and Hong Kong citizens' actual feelings. For example, a survey by the HKPORI showed that only 32% of people in Hong Kong supported the zero-COVID policy, while as many as 57% were in favor of living with the virus. But a Bauhinia Institute survey said that 68% of people in Hong Kong supported the zero-COVID policy, while only 24% were in favor of living with the virus. It also said that as many as 76% replied that the national security law would not affect freedoms and rights in Hong Kong. Details on the Bauhinia Institute, which was established in 2016 by pro-China forces, are shrouded in mystery. An expert familiar with opinion polls said: "It seems to be conducting surveys using social networking sites popular with those born in China, such as WeChat. As sampling is unbalanced, decent researchers are not taking them seriously." Nikkei asked the Bauhinia Institute about its survey methods and relations with China. It did not answer directly, commenting only that it "serves Hong Kong and the state, unites patriots and supports the implementation of a better one country, two systems [formula] in Hong Kong." On July 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong for the first time in five years and implored "patriots governing Hong Kong" to be principled. © Reuters Xi recently made a trip to Hong Kong for the first time in five years, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary on July 1 of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule. In a speech, Xi called for the thorough implementation of the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." He regards opinions differing from those of the Chinese leadership as impediments to policy implementation and shows no signs of a letup in the exclusion of pro-democracy forces. A government-affiliated Hong Kong newspaper published the results of a survey showing that as a result of Xi's speech, 77% of local citizens had deepened their confidence in the "one country, two systems" formula. China's propaganda campaign is becoming increasingly fierce. Robert Chung, the HKPORI's president and chief executive officer, pointed out that the question now is how to assess the direction of Hong Kong's society under the banner of science and democracy. Opinion polls are facing a new challenge, he added. If an authoritarian government continues to crack down on opposition forces, only voices supporting it come to be heard, and when the people finally vent their pent-up frustrations, it happens suddenly. This phenomenon is widely known. Hong Kong's "patriotic governance" seems to be incurring great risks as it attacks opinion polls, which are a "social thermometer," and closes its eyes to public opinion.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Electronics/Blast-from-the-past-Cassette-player-prices-surge-amid-comeback?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220829123000&seq_num=14&si=44594 Blast from the past: Cassette player prices surge amid comeback Nostalgia boom gives tapes another moment in the sun Sony's cassette players once dominated the global industry in the analog days. (Photo by Takuro Hosoda) TAKURO HOSODA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 28, 2022 01:15 JST TOKYO -- Music lovers nostalgic for the faint hissing and crackling of cassette tapes have sent the price of vintage players soaring, with some now going for five times as much as a decade ago. Sony first launched the Walkman TPS-L2, a cassette player considered the world's first portable music device, back in 1979. Originally priced at 33,000 yen, those in good condition now sell for around 50,000 to 100,000 yen ($365 to $730). "Even ones that are junk regularly go for around 30,000 yen," said a representative at BuySell Technologies, a Tokyo-based company that sells a wide range of pre-owned products. A decade ago, original Walkmans in working condition commanded around 10,000 yen to 20,000 yen. Prices have increased roughly fivefold because there are now fewer of them in circulation, and there are "many fans who like the culture of bringing cassette players around," the representative said. Cassette players became widely available in the 1970s, initially in the form of boomboxes. Mobile players became more popular in the 1980s after the Walkman was released. Though the players later lost ground to CDs, demand has surged in the last few years, particularly among those nostalgic for the characteristic hiss they produced. Cassette players largely sold for around 5,000 yen to 7,000 yen in 2019, but have been selling for over 9,000 yen so far this year, according to online auction platform Aucfan. Many of the buyers are older men with more disposable income to spend on their hobbies. Some are collecting rare items from overseas. Tokyo-based Beenos said cassette players on Sekaimon, its cross-border e-commerce platform, have been selling for 24,000 yen on average this year, around 50% more than in 2021. The buyers on average were 45 years old, and 90% were men. Those who bought vintage players in particular were 55 on average. Several companies still make cassette players. But modern models are plastic and lightweight. "Fans who are drawn to the weight of steel tend to prefer vintage players," said Tomohiro Takeno at Lawson Entertainment, which operates record and cassette tape stores. Cassette tapes have become a source of nostalgia for middle-age to elderly people. Overseas cassette enthusiasts unable to come to Japan because of the coronavirus pandemic have also been snapping up items on the secondary market online. "Because the yen is so weak right now, foreign fans are getting high-quality players at bargain prices," said electronics collector Junichi Matsuzaki. Matsuzaki says he now has roughly 5,000 secondhand boomboxes and other devices from around the world, sourced through his own channels. He says has received requests from foreign aficionados to sell his entire collection. "The analog boom is further along overseas than in Japan," he said. Sales of cassette tapes in the U.S. doubled last year to over 340,000, the highest total since 2015, according to entertainment data company Luminate. Artists popular among young listeners, such as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, have released music on cassette. In Japan, vinyl records are experiencing a greater comeback. Although cassettes are easy to carry around, the magnetic tape itself becomes degraded with use, making cassettes poor candidates for secondhand distribution in the digital age. In recent years, well-known music artists such as B'z and Tatsuro Yamashita have released music on tapes, but the tape revival is still in its infancy. "Compared to records, there is far fewer new music" on tapes, said Takeno. "New music will determine the future popularity of tapes."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Thai-tourism-eyes-Indian-weddings-as-Chinese-spending-dries-up?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220829123000&seq_num=20&si=44594 Thai tourism eyes Indian weddings as Chinese spending dries up One couple from Hong Kong last year spent $12.5m in four days This Indian bride had her wedding ceremony and celebrations on a picturesque beach on the famous Thai resort island of Phuket. (Photo courtesy of Thai-Indian Wedding Association) APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerAugust 27, 2022 14:30 JST BANGKOK -- Thailand is gearing up to cater to a big-spending tourist niche it thinks can help make up for still-grounded Chinese travelers now that the country has fully reopened to international holidaymakers. The key to helping the tourist-reliant economy start thriving again, officials believe, is to attract Indian wedding parties. Indian visitors are already playing a role in boosting Thailand's tourism-related industries, with 337,282 having landed during the first seven months of this year. That includes an average of 4,000 per day since July 1, when Thailand fully reopened its borders to international travelers after more than two years of strict COVID-19 restrictions, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). "Indian tourists are the priority this year," TAT Deputy Gov. Tanes Petsuwan said. "We are already getting strong demand, and they are happy to spend here in Thailand." As a result, Tanes said, the TAT has held roadshows in several Indian cities, particularly to promote "our capacity to organize big events such as weddings." Thailand's economy has grown fragile during the pandemic. Before COVID, the spending of international tourists accounted for 18% of the country's gross domestic product. In 2019, the year before the virus, Thailand welcomed 39.7 million foreign tourists. Of them, 10.9 million were Chinese, who are now hindered from traveling abroad by President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy. Knowing that 27% of your best customers are all but stuck at home explains why the TAT is excited for the industry to start planning wedding parties for wealthy Indians. Thailand has been adopting parts of Indian culture for centuries, particularly Buddhism and Hindu traditions. The Thai-India Wedding Association (TIWA) expects this history, as well as Thai aesthetics, hospitality and cuisine, to go a long way toward making Thailand attractive to young Indian lovebirds. "Their wedding is the high point of every Indian's life," TIWA President Ram Sachdev told Nikkei Asia. "It is the uniting of beliefs, aspirations, culture and time-honored tradition." Each year, around 150 Indian couples come to Thailand to get married, mostly along a beach in Phuket, Hua Hin, Cha-am or Pattaya, according to the TAT. In 2022, the authority expects Thailand to host as many as 400 Indian wedding parties and welcome a total of 500,000 Indian tourists. Indian weddings can go on for a week, but the TAT says the country can expect even more spending as guests at these lavish celebrations stay longer to travel around Thailand. In all, the TAT expects Indian wedding parties to generate up to 22.5 billion baht ($627.8 million) in tourism revenue. To attract more weddings, the TAT has brought key Indian and Thai wedding planners, event organizers and tour operators to roadshows it has organized in several Indian cities since early this year. However, TIWA President Ram thinks the TAT's approach is too narrow. "Affluent Indian wedding couples are in every corner of the world," he said, "so we should not promote [these events] only in Indian cities." He also said Thailand should make sure to market to very wealthy families, noting that one Indian couple from Hong Kong last year spent $12.5 million on a four-day celebration in Thailand. "We should focus on quality," Ram said, "not only on quantity." Ratchitar Thanakulphandilok, who has been planning Thai weddings for two decades now, told Nikkei that the Indian wedding ritual is sacred, and must be done correctly and with authenticity. "We need to work closely with Indian wedding planners, who normally bring their own Brahmin priest to conduct the Hindu ritual," she said. The Thai organizers then handle the presentation -- decorations, flowers, cuisine. The Indian families who pay for weddings in Thailand usually charter jetliners to carry anywhere from 200 to 300 participants and guests. In addition, they often reserve entire five-star hotels for three to seven days of rituals, celebrations and parties, said Ratchitar, who was organizing around 20 Indian weddings a year before the pandemic. "I think Thailand's reputation is very strong in regard to hospitality, its skillful flower works, decorations and food," Ratchitar said. "The young Indian lovers who tie the knot here are always impressed. It would be good to further promote this, to generate more tourism revenue, which would be good for the whole Thai economy."

This is how Parisians move their home

I had my best meal this trip on Wednesday dinner at the L'Escargot restaurant Started with pastis My 3 starters Foie gras Escargot So tender Frog legs Juicy frog legs Main course is sole fish deboned Long queue after I finished

Finally, it’s been 6 days 5 nights in Paris and time to go home Will post the rest of the photos and videos when I get back

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/World-s-tallest-timber-tower-to-be-constructed-in-Sydney?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20220825090000&seq_num=11&si=44594 World's tallest timber tower to be constructed in Sydney Japan's Obayashi plans 39-story Atlassian building powered by renewable energy Obayashi's 39-story Atlassian Central structure, seen here in an artist's rendering, aims to reduce project-related carbon dioxide emissions by half. (Image courtesy of Obayashi) SHUGO TAMURA, Nikkei staff writerAugust 25, 2022 03:03 JST TOKYO -- Japanese general contractor Obayashi said Wednesday that it has received an order to construct the world's tallest timber building in Australia, a 182-meter sustainable skyscraper combining wood and other materials to house the Sydney headquarters of software company Atlassian. The 39-story Atlassian Central structure will stand adjacent to the Central rail station in Sydney's Tech Central innovation and technology precinct. The mixed-use tower with a floor space of 75,000 square meters also will be home to a hotel and retail stores. Obayashi's joint venture with local construction company Built has been commissioned by Australian real estate firm Dexus to build the tower, which is slated for completion in 2026. The 182-meter sustainable skyscraper planned in Sydney will be the world's tallest timber building. (Image courtesy of Obayashi) The building, to carry the highest level of environmental certification, will be made of steel-reinforced, low-carbon concrete from the basement to the seventh floor, with cross-laminated timber and a steel exoskeleton used for higher floors. The project aims to limit carbon dioxide emissions during construction -- from materials procurement to completion -- to less than half of those for a conventional building. For operation, the tower is expected to be powered by 100% renewable energy. Obayashi is among the Japanese companies tapping the trend of building wooden skyscrapers in Australia, where interest in achieving net-zero emissions is strong and fire safety codes are less strict than in their home country. Sumitomo Forestry and NTT Urban Development are creating a hybrid timber building in Melbourne with U.S. real estate firm Hines.

Deleted.

Taking the Paris Metro

Had very late dinner at 9pm last night. Took a long walked Narrow lane towards the restaurant The restaurant on the right Frenchie the restaurant A very nice red, I remembered I had this a few times before when I visited Rhone Tarte tomatoes and mozzarella Main course - black pig pan fried Super tender pork Nice walk back to the hotel

Lunch was at a restaurant close to the hotel and its really good I must say - Bistrot Rougemont Fantastic escargot - staff told me only serve escargot for dinner but I insisted so he obliged Beef was also very good But why the French don't make good French fries? Fries looked rather sad no? 😂

By the way this is a pretty nice hotel and centrally located at Opera area good for 5 nights

Someone recommended a bakery in Paris "Maison Passos" for its quiche so I had my breakfast there yesterday My ham and cheese and potatoes quiche https://i.imgur.com/H2PMRXX.jpg[/img] Actually its my first time having quiche, I kindda like it After the quiche I had another coffee and a croissant

Regarding my post about my lunch at Chartier - I wish to advise you that you can pass this restaurant as the food is not that great though its inexpensive so no need to waste your time with this as you may have to queue for a long time like this (I passed by last night)

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Thailand-king-s-elite-Red-Rim-officers-enter-the-spotlight?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220822123000&seq_num=14&si=44594 Thailand king's elite 'Red Rim' officers enter the spotlight Flag officers expected to move into key positions in September promotions General Apirat Kongsompong, Thailand's outgoing army chief, and his successor, General Narongpan Jitkaewthae, at the handover ceremony in 2020. © Reuters MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentAugust 20, 2022 18:01 JST BANGKOK -- As Thailand's military officers await their fate in annual promotions, the fortunes of the elite "Red Rim" corps within the armed forces, the country's most powerful political institution, appear secure. Military insiders expect prominent officers among this new corps, a 2017 innovation by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, will have influential slots in the top-heavy military, which has an estimated 1,750 generals, admirals and air marshals commanding 335,000 active military personnel. The U.S. military, by contrast, has just over 880 flag officers. The anticipated step up for the Red Rim flag officers in the annual September promotions that take effect in October, is poised to add to their glow as the who's who in the rising top brass. Besides Gen. Narongphan Jitkaewthae, the current commander of the army due to finish his three-year term in September 2023, their numbers include Gen. Jaoroenchai Hintao, the assistant army commander, and Gen. Suksan Nongbualuang, commander of the First Army Region, which is headquartered in Bangkok. They feature in a list of 12 Red Rim flag officers in key command positions. Not surprisingly, the significance of these elite troops, who get their name from the red collar on the white T-shirts they sport, has not been lost on political insiders and seasoned security analysts. After all, Thailand's armed forces have a record of deep factionalism and military-class loyalties -- networks that have often played a part in the country's 13 military coups -- and nine failures -- since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a retired general and former junta leader himself, still leads Southeast Asia's second largest economy. As army chief, Prayuth staged the most recent coup in 2014, toppling an elected caretaker government. He had commanded the Queen's Guard, a corps of elite troops who had dominated the key military promotions for over a decade. These troops are part of the 2nd Infantry Division, also dubbed the Eastern Tigers, and are based in the province of Prachinburi, east of Bangkok. Their traditional rivals are the more storied King's Guard, drawn from the Bangkok-based 1st Infantry Division, who called the shots for decades. The prospects of the King's Guard regaining the dominant position improved after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in October 2016. Two King's Guards, the hawkish Gen. Apirat Kongsompong (2018-2020) and the quieter Gen. Narongphan (2020-2023), became army chief. Apirat, a palace favorite like Narongphan, was also a Red Rim officer. Bangkok-based diplomats have taken note of the emerging axis within the influential military, the guarantor of political power in the country, under Vajiralongkorn, himself a military veteran of the King's Guard. The monarch set this tone by unveiling plans to redeploy troops in the capital to come under his personal royal security force 904, a well-trained Praetorian Guard of some 7,000 soldiers. Brought under this new security architecture for exclusive royal service are squads from the 1st Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Regiment and the 4th Cavalry Battalion -- previously the frontline troops to stage coups. "The king currently has at least three layers of troops under his network," said Supalak Ganjanakhundee, a seasoned political observer and author of "A Soldier King," a recently published book about the position of the military in the present reign. That includes senior officers of the elite 904 corps, "his private royal army [that includes the] 1st and 11th Infantry Regiments, and troops being placed within the royal guard units under jurisdiction of the ... army, navy and air force," Supalak told Nikkei Asia. Security analysts reckon that the selection of Red Rim troops, who have to undergo a special three-month military training course, suggested a nod by the palace on two fronts: Specially trained candidates enjoying an edge for promotions during the annual promotions and a push for military unity within the ranks. "Officers from any unit or faction can enter the [Red Rim] program and after graduation [they] can claim a connection to the palace as Royal 904 soldiers," said Paul Chambers, an expert on Thai national security issues at Naresuan University in northern Thailand. "Passing the program makes them much more competitive candidates for the top-most army and armed forces postings." The Red Rim corps provides the monarch an avenue to unify the deeply factionalized military, added Supalak. "The main objective of creating the Red Rims is to unite all factions within the armed forces and for them to [be] loyal to the monarch only." That is mirrored in the profiles of the ranking Red Rim officers. They are a mix of flag officers from both the Queen's Guard and King's Guard factions. Gen. Jaroenchai, an emerging frontrunner to become the future army chief, hails from the Queen's Guard. Yet this royal blueprint for military unity will come under scrutiny. As a Bangkok-based diplomat put it: "Factionalism in the Thai military is very deep and is rooted in many years of fraternal bonding in the barracks." Chambers concurs: "It is necessary to examine sub-factions [of the King's Guard and Queen's Guard] under the umbrella of the Red Rims," he said, given that generals from the Queen's Guard, which dominated the army chief position for years, including Prayuth, are poised to make a comeback. "The interesting phenomenon now is that the Queen's Guard is placed to take the position of the army commander into the foreseeable future," said Chambers.

I just tell waiter in English what I wanna eat

I not see

Had lunch at a popular restaurant. Opens 11.30am so customers queueing Restaurant just opened Very soon My table Starter escargot and wine Main By the time I finished its full I did not have dinner, simply rested in the room until this morning

Took a taxi at the airport to the hotel in center of Paris. Its a flat rate of 53 Euro. Streets of Paris seen from a taxi Took a short walk around the hotel area Had a beer in a cafe near hotel while waiting for room to be ready (arrived in hotel at 8am) First French beer Followup beer

So this is how Bangkok look like at night from above Didn't have stomach for "dinner" at 1am right after flight took off so watched some comedy and then slept and woke up for breakfast before arrival for the trip in Paris visit link here -