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“Made in China” Thailand’s Junta Government Moves Closer to Beijing

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Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (L) shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

 

BANGKOK – The recent announcement that the leader of Thailand’s ruling military junta, General Prayut Chan-Ocha, would use the controversial Article 44 to speed up construction of the delayed US$15 billion Sino-Thai railway confirms warming relations between Thailand’s military-led government and China.

Article 44 is a key section of the provisional constitution imposed by the military junta following the May 2014 coup. It gives General Prayut absolute power to issue virtually any order, the status of which is deemed “lawful, constitutional, and final.” Previous uses of the order have tended to concern internal security and criticism of the monarchy.

The Sino-Thai railway agreement that the junta has pushed through controversially allows Chinese engineers and architects to work in Thailand exempt from regulations set by Thailand’s Council of Engineers and the Architects Council. Due to the military regime’s strict censorship laws, criticism of the decision has been muted (one activist calling for greater transparency over the deal has already been arrested).

Despite this, a cartoon recently appeared in a leading Thai newspaper depicting an engorged General Prawit Wongsuwan (Thailand’s Defence Minister) getting a tattoo on his stomach saying “Made in China,” suggesting some opposition to the junta’s increasingly close commercial links with China.

As has happened elsewhere in Southeast Asia, China’s rapid economic rise has drawn Thailand’s economy increasingly into its orbit. Since 2012 China has become Thailand’s largest trade partner, having overtaken Japan. China has recently become the major country of origin of tourists to Thailand – there were 8.8 million Chinese tourist arrivals in 2016, making up over a quarter of the total number of tourists to the country, and double the number of the next largest country of origin, Malaysia. Tourism accounts for 12% of Thailand’s GDP, and remains one of the country’s most buoyant industries in a sluggish economy.

Chinese migration to Thailand has also surged. Some academic studies suggest that over the past decade up to 400,000 Chinese have taken up residence in the country. The number of Chinese expatriates in Thailand is rapidly rising, second now only to the Japanese. Over the last decade Thailand has also become the fifth most popular destination for Chinese real estate investment.

Chinese investment in infrastructure projects in Thailand is also on the increase. The Chinese state-overseen Global Times reported earlier this year that Wuhan Optics Valley Beidou Holding Group has begun work in Thailand on the construction of a “China-ASEAN Beidou Technology City,” located two and half hours from Bangkok and worth US$1.45 billion.

The project will enable the Beidou Navigation Satellite System to expand its coverage by 3000 kilometers into Southeast Asia and South Asia. Notably, at a time when many nations in the region are developing their cyber warfare capabilities, the system has commercial as well as military applications.

Thailand’s deepening economic relations with China come at a time of acute political polarization and instability for the country and difficult relations with the West.

The US stridently criticized the junta’s actions following the 2014 coup. The view of many in Thailand’s royalist establishment, which backed the coup, was that the Obama administration was unfairly siding with the democratically-elected Yingluck Shinawatra government.

Since the coup, the US has cut its military assistance to Thailand and scaled down its presence at the annual Cobra Gold military exercises, the largest in Asia. Europe and Australia also implemented sanctions.

Smarting from this Western isolation, the military regime has sought to strengthen relations with China and Russia. Cooperation between Thailand’s military and China in particular has been growing. In January this year the regime signed a US$383 million deal to buy a submarine from China, the first of an expected three submarine purchases together worth a total of US$1 billion. The junta has also agreed to purchase 28 VT4 tanks and 34 VN-1 armored personnel carriers from Chinese military contractors.

In mid-2016 China and Thailand held joint military exercises at Sattahip naval base, southeast of Bangkok. The previous year the Thai and Chinese air forces held their first-ever joint exercises.

With heightening tension between China and the US over the South China Sea, the Thai military regime’s apparent tilt towards China has obvious regional implications.

With hopes fading for a quick return to democracy, as well as the military regime’s apparent willingness to explore closer military cooperation with China, the US appears to have relented on its tough stance towards the junta.

Earlier this year the U.S. sent Admiral Harry Harris, the head of Pacific Command, to open the Cobra Gold military exercises. Harris is the most senior US military official to visit Thailand since the coup, but the total number of US troops participating is still down on pre-coup numbers). The regime has also just announced that US President Donald Trump has invited junta head, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, to visit the White House.

Often overlooked in discussions of geopolitics in the East Asian region, in many respects Thailand is a pivotal country. It was one of the first Asian kingdoms to leave China’s tributary system in the mid-nineteenth century and effectively substitute imperial China’s hegemony for that of the British Empire.

Thailand subsequently become one of the US’s oldest allies in Asia, and one of its only two treaty allies in Southeast Asia (the other being the Philippines). It played a crucial role during the Vietnam War and in the coalition of forces that resisted and eventually ended the Soviet-backed Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in the 1980s.

In recent months Thailand’s military regime has begun talking about a “legally-binding” 20-year masterplan to reform the country’s politics. This suggests that unlike after the previous 2006 coup, the military intends to remain a guiding force in Thai politics.  A clientelistic relationship with China may serve the military’s longer term political and business interests better than its existing relationship with the US.

For its part, a friendly military-led government in Thailand that keeps democratic forces at bay may suit China at a time when the US is working hard to enhance its relations with China’s neighbors in the region. If this is the case, such a geopolitical realignment would represent a change of historical significance for Thailand, and the East Asian region more generally.

 

By Patrick Jory – Lowy Interpreter

 

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PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

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(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.

This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.

Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.

Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.

The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.

Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.

Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.

The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.

Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.

Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.

Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.

Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.

Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”

Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.

The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.

Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.

The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.

Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”

Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.

The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.

Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.

The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:

SOURCE: CNBC

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

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(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.

This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.

For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.

This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.

Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”

This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.

This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.

Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.

Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.

Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.

This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.

It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.

Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”

This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.

We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.

Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.

SOURCE: THBL

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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

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water

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.

water

American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.

water

The corporation stated that it has alerted legal enforcement and is cooperating with them. It also stated that consumers will not be charged late fees while its systems are unavailable.

According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

SOURCE | AP

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