Tag: cross-border trade
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On the Kelantan-Thailand Border: Malaysia’s Drug War Brings Uncertainty to a ‘Dead’ Town
Introduction: A town in limbo at a porous border Along the Kelantan-Thailand frontier, strides to tighten national security collide with daily life in a town that locals call quiet, bordering on desolate. Malaysia’s intensified push to curb drug smuggling has prompted a raft of measures — from physical barriers to cross-border patrols — that ripple…
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Dead Town on the Kelantan-Thailand Border: Malaysia’s Drug War Unsettles Residents and Businesses
Introduction: A border where walls meet whispers of disruption The Kelantan-Thailand border, once a quiet seam along Malaysia’s northeast, is becoming a focal point of a national effort to curb drug trafficking and smuggling. As Kuala Lumpur increases security measures, residents describe a town once alive with cross-border trade that now feels largely cut off.…
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‘Dead’ town on the Kelantan-Thailand border: How Malaysia’s drug war unsettles residents and businesses
Overview: A border in flux On the edge of Malaysia’s northeastern frontier, the stretch of land where Kelantan meets Thailand is less a tourism corridor and more a shifting battleground of policy and risk. Authorities say the intensified crackdown on drug trafficking has disrupted traditional cross-border trade, unsettled residents, and altered the daily life of…
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Tarique Rahman’s Return: What It Means for Bangladesh-India Ties
Overview: Tarique Rahman’s Return as a Pivot Point The political landscape in South Asia is always nuanced, but Tarique Rahman’s return to the public stage adds a new layer to the discourse around Bangladesh-India ties. As a senior figure in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Rahman’s…
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GBC Day Three: Cambodia Stands Firm Against Thai Ceasefire Terms
Overview: High-Stakes Talks Continue as Deadlock Persists Discussions at the Thailand–Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) secretariat entered their third day on December 26, with no breakthrough in sight. Set at the Ban Phakkad border checkpoint, the talks bring together senior diplomats and border officials tasked with resolving long-running tensions along their shared frontier. While both…
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What happened after Alberta’s border lockdown plan near Coutts: a year in review
Introduction: a border plan that drew attention Exactly one year ago, Alberta’s premier announced a plan to tighten the province’s border with the United States, aiming to seal a perceived “leaky” boundary near Coutts. The move sparked national debate about sovereignty, security, and the daily realities of people who live and work along the border.…
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A Year Later: What It Really Means When Alberta Tried to Lock the Border
Introduction: A Bold move, A Year of Consequences One year ago, Alberta’s premier signaled a determined push to tighten a border that many described as thin and vulnerable. The plan to “lock down” the Coutts crossing—east of the small village of Coutts, Alberta, near the U.S. border—was more than a political promise. It was a…
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Canada-US Free Trade Agreement review begins mid-January
Overview: A formal kick-off for a targeted review Canada and the United States have announced that they will launch formal discussions to review the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) starting in mid-January. The official notice comes from the office of the Canadian prime minister, signaling a structured process likely to involve negotiations on a range…
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Unified Certification in the Greater Bay Area Gains Momentum
Introduction: A New Layer of Regional Harmony Unified certification is increasingly recognized as a pivotal mechanism for enhancing soft connectivity in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). By simplifying procedures and standardizing requirements across multiple jurisdictions, this initiative aims to reduce friction in cross-boundary trade, attract investment, and bolster the region’s economic resilience in…
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Unified Certification in the GBA: Driving Soft Connectivity and Trade Integration
Introduction: A new pillar for regional integration The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is accelerating an important trend: unified certification. By streamlining compliance across borders, this initiative enhances soft connectivity—the invisible glue that binds a dense network of businesses, suppliers, and markets. As cross-boundary trade becomes more efficient, firms in the GBA can move…