Day: January 22, 2023

New Zealand’s ruling Labour Party chose former COVID minister Chris Hipkins on Sunday to replace the charismatic Jacinda Ardern as its new leader and become the next prime minister of the country.

Hipkins, 44, was the only nomination for the job and his confirmation at a party meeting Sunday, known as the Labour caucus, was largely a formality.

His appointment to the top job followed the surprise resignation Thursday by Ardern, who said she had “no more in the tank” to lead the country.

“This is the biggest privilege and biggest responsibility of my life,” Hipkins said at a news conference announcing his appointment. “I am energized and excited by the challenge that lies ahead.”

Hipkins immediately acknowledged the leadership of Ardern, who he called one of New Zealand’s greatest prime ministers and an inspiration to women and girls everywhere.

“She gave voice to those often overlooked in times of challenge and purposefully went about doing politics differently,” Hipkins said.

But some of the hate Ardern faced during her term is a reminder that “we’ve got a way to go to ensure women in leadership receive the same respect as their male counterparts,” he added.

Known as “Chippy,” Hipkins built a reputation for competence in tackling COVID-19 and was a troubleshooter for Ardern when other Cabinet ministers were struggling.

First elected to parliament in 2008, he became a household name fronting the government’s response to the pandemic. He was appointed health minister in July 2020 before becoming the COVID response minister at the end of the year.

Hipkins named Carmel Sepuloni as deputy prime minister. She will be New Zealand’s first deputy prime minister of Pacific origin.

Sepuloni, 46, is of Samoan, Tongan and New Zealand European decent and lives in Auckland. She holds a number of portfolios, including social development and employment and arts, culture and heritage.

Hipkins said the rest of his team would be announced later.

Tough road

Hipkins said he has seen the media focus on Ardern’s personal life and wants to keep his two young children and the rest of his family out of the limelight.

He said a year ago he and his wife decided to live separately. “She’s still my best friend, but we have made that decision in the best interest of our family.”

Local polls have shown Hipkins was the most popular potential candidate among voters.

While Ardern was popular early in her five-and-a-half-year tenure, her ratings have slid on a backlash to strict COVID curbs, rising living costs and mortgage rates, and concerns about crime.

Hipkins has a tough road ahead with Labour trailing the opposition in opinion polls and the country expected to fall into recession next quarter before a general election Oct. 14.

Hipkins acknowledged that he was taking on the job at a challenging time and said his government will focus on “bread and butter issues.”

“Over the coming week the Cabinet will be making decisions on reining in some programs and projects that aren’t essential right now. We will be focused on middle- and low-income New Zealanders and the small businesses that are (finding) it tough to get by,” he said.

The economy is in sound shape, he said.

“Our books and our economy are in a better shape than many around the world, and we are absolutely resolved to help the New Zealanders through these tough economic times,” he said.

Before Hipkins becomes prime minister, Ardern will tender her resignation to King Charles’ representative in New Zealand, Governor General Cindy Kiro. Kiro is to appoint Hipkins to the role and he will be sworn in. Hipkins said he will be sworn in Wednesday.

Source: Voice of America

A direct flight from China landed in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for the first time in nearly three years Sunday after the route was suspended due to the pandemic.

At least 210 people were on board the chartered plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air from Shenzhen in China’s southern Guangdong province.

Some Chinese tourists who arrived at the airport in Bali said they were glad to have the chance to travel internationally again after China ended its strict COVID-19 restrictions.

“I feel very happy and relaxed. It was a long time we did not go abroad,” said An Pei, a Chinese tourist who was on the flight.

The flight followed the Chinese government’s decision to lift travel restrictions announced January 8 and it coincided with the start of the Lunar New Year, which was being marked Sunday.

The Shenzhen-to-Bali route will operate once a week during its initial phase, according to a statement from Danang Mandala Prihantoro, a spokesperson for Lion Air.

Indonesia is targeting 255,000 tourists from China in 2023. Indonesia recorded 94,924 visits from China from January to October 2022. More than 2 million tourists from China visited Indonesia each year before the pandemic.

The return of Chinese tourists is expected to support the overall target of foreign tourist arrivals this year. Indonesia aims to record 3.5 million to 7.4 million foreign visits, said Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, in a statement Friday. China is one of the largest markets for inbound tourism in Indonesia.

“Based on online travel agent data in China, there has been an increase in search volume for overseas tourist destinations by 430%. Indonesia is in the top 5 searches and Bali’s search volume has increased by 250%,” Uno said.

Indonesia’s government is exploring ways to attract more Chinese tourists, including the possibility of direct flights from three main cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Source: Voice of America

People across China rang in the Lunar New Year on Sunday with large family gatherings and crowds visiting temples after the government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy, marking the biggest festive celebration since the pandemic began three years ago.

The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China. Each year is named after one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac in a repeating cycle, with this year being the Year of the Rabbit. For the past three years, celebrations were muted in the shadow of the pandemic.

With the easing of most COVID-19 restrictions, many people could finally make their first trip back to their hometowns to reunite with their families without worrying about the hassles of quarantine, potential lockdowns and suspension of travel. Larger public celebrations also returned for what is known as the Spring Festival in China, with the capital hosting thousands of cultural events — on a larger scale than a year ago.

The mass movement of people may cause the virus to spread in certain areas, said Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control. But a large-scale COVID-19 surge will be unlikely in the next two or three months because about 80% of the country’s 1.4 billion people have been infected during the recent wave, he wrote on the social media platform Weibo on Saturday.

In Beijing, many worshippers offered morning prayers at the Lama Temple, but the crowds appeared to be smaller compared to pre-pandemic days. The Tibetan Buddhist site allows up to 60,000 visitors a day, citing safety reasons, and requires an advance reservation.

At Taoranting Park, there was no sign of the usual bustling New Year food stalls despite its walkways being decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns. A popular temple fair at Badachu Park that was suspended for three years will be back this week, but similar events at Ditan Park and Longtan Lake Park have yet to return.

In Hong Kong, revelers flocked to the city’s largest Taoist temple, Wong Tai Sin Temple, to burn the first incense sticks of the year. The site’s popular ritual was suspended for the last two years due to the pandemic.

Traditionally, big crowds gather before 11 p.m. on Lunar New Year’s Eve, with everyone trying to be the first, or among the first, to put their incense sticks into the stands in front of the temple’s main hall. Worshippers believe those who are among the first to place their incense sticks will stand the best chance of having their prayers answered.

Local resident Freddie Ho, who visited the temple Saturday night, was happy that he could join the event in person.

“I hope to place the first incense stick and pray that the New Year brings world peace, that Hong Kong’s economy will prosper, and that the pandemic will go away from us and we can all live a normal life,” Ho said. “I believe this is what everyone wishes.”

Meanwhile, the crowds praying for good fortune at the historic Longshan Temple in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, were smaller than a year ago even as the pandemic eased. That is partly because many people there had ventured to other parts of Taiwan or overseas on long-awaited trips.

As communities across Asia welcomed the Year of the Rabbit, the Vietnamese were celebrating the Year of the Cat instead. There’s no official answer to explain the difference. But one theory suggests cats are popular because they often help Vietnamese rice farmers to chase away rats.

Source: Voice of America