Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, May 6-Xinhua

Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, May 6

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-05-07 00:06:45

HONG KONG -- John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Tuesday he will lead a delegation on a visit to Qatar and Kuwait from Saturday to foster cooperation with the two countries.

Lee said he will meet with government officials of the two countries and visit local firms along with the delegation to learn about the latest developments in finance, trade, technology and other aspects of the two Middle East economies. (Hong Kong-Middle East-Visit)

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JAKARTA -- Indonesia and the European Union are currently exploring a final agreement on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is targeted for completion in the first half of 2025, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on Tuesday.

A virtual meeting between Airlangga and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic was held on Monday, as a follow-up to previous discussions. (Indonesia-EU-Trade Deal)

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia attracted fixed-asset investment of 3.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months of 2025, up 34 percent compared to the same period of 2024, said a Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)'s report released on Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian country approved 231 investment projects during the January-April period this year, up 80 percent from merely 128 projects in the same period of 2024, creating about 159,000 jobs, the CDC said. (Cambodia-Investment)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- Exploration of new and non-traditional markets to safeguard Malaysia's economic and trade interests amid a changing global landscape is a top priority, Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said here on Tuesday.

To support these efforts, the government will allocate additional funds to support Malaysian companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in breaking into emerging markets, Zafrul told in a press briefing. (Malaysia-Tariffs-Trade Markets)

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SYDNEY -- Proposed U.S. tariffs on foreign-made films have cast doubt on a 30-year plan to turn Australia's Gold Coast region into a global epicenter for the industry, local leaders have said.

U.S. President Trump said on Sunday that his administration would introduce a 100 percent tariff on films produced in "foreign lands." (Australia-Tariff-Film)