AEC Feed

Indonesia hopes to attract 2.4 million Chinese tourists from Greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, in 2017 – after attracting 2.1 million this year.
The government has set a higher target for tourist arrivals from China next year, despite political and immigration issues that might hinder the plan.
The effort has been undertaken following the positive trend of visits this year, in which China sits as the top contributor of foreign tourist arrivals.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya shrugged off political concerns, which include mass protests, many of which have had an element of anti-Chinese sentiment, as well as the visa-free |policy for Chinese tourists that has reportedly been misused by Chinese workers. – The Jakarta Post

International Fashion Fair kicks off in Hanoi
More than 150 enterprises are showcasing their products at the Vietnam International Fashion Fair 2016 at Hanoi’s International Centre of Exhibition.
Co-organised by Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre JSC (VEFAC) and Vietnam Textile and Garment Group, the six-day started on Wednesday and is hosting over 200 booths covering 4,000 squate metres. 
On display will be textiles and garments, footwear, cosmetics, jewellery and beauty services.
Vu Ngoan Hop, member of the VEFAC’s board of directors, said the event was not only a trade promotion activity for the local fashion industry and exporters of textiles, footwear, jewellery and fine art products, but was also a good shopping festival for people in the capital city.
He also described the event as a promising opportunity for participating enterprises to effectively advertise their products to customers.
Last year’s event witnessed the participation of more than 250 local firms, showcasing their goods across 4,000 pavilions. – Viet Nam News

Mekong Delta city licenses $47-million waste-to-energy plant in Vietnam 
Authorities in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho granted an investment certificate to the China Everbright International Company to build a US$47 million (Bt1.7 billion) waste-to-energy plant.
The Thoi Lai solid waste treatment plant will be built on an area of 53 hectares in Truong Xuan Commune, Thoi Lai District. Construction of the factory is scheduled to kick off in February.
Following its completion in February 2018, the facility will be capable of treating 400 tonnes of garbage per day and generating electricity for the national grid.
Chen Xiao Ping, director general of China Everbright International, said as one of the leading companies in the field of waste treatment, it currently has 68 waste-to-energy projects with combined capacity of 55,000 tonnes of garbage per day.
This is the first project in Vietnam funded by Everbright, he said, also pledging to make it a key environmentally-friendly project in the Mekong Delta. – Viet Nam News

Keppel Infrastructure to design and build Singapore’s fourth desalination plant

Keppel Infrastructure Holdings will design, build, own and operate Singapore's fourth desalination plant — the first with the ability to treat sea water and fresh water.
The fourth plant brings Singapore closer to its aim of meeting 85 per cent of its water needs through desalination and Newater by 2060, when the demand for water is expected to double. It will also help decrease the Republic's dependence on importing water from Malaysia for its drinking water needs.
Expected to be operational in 2020, the new desalination plant will be able to produce 137,000 cubic metres (about 30 million gallons) of fresh drinking water per day.
Located in Marina East, the plant will be able to treat sea water and |fresh water from Marina Reservoir by using reverse osmosis and other advanced membrane technology. – The Straits Times