March 4, 2019
ASIA / PACIFIC
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5
Honda to shut plant in
Brexit-shaken Britain
By Kaori Hitomi
The Associated Press
OKYO — Japanese
carmaker
Honda
plans to close its car
factory in western England
in 2021, a fresh blow to the
British economy as it strug-
gles with the uncertainty
associated with leaving the
European Union (EU).
The company announced
the decision, which will
imperil 3,500 jobs and
possibly many more, at a
news conference in Tokyo.
Honda’s president and
CEO, Takahiro Hachigo,
said the decision was not
related to Brexit, but was
based on what made most
sense for its global com-
petitiveness in light of the
need to accelerate its pro-
duction of electric vehicles.
Still, experts say the
uncertainty surrounding
Brexit will likely have been
a contributing factor in a
decision like Honda’s.
There is still no clarity on
what leaving the EU will
mean. In a worst case it
could lead to heavy tariffs
and border checks, raising
costs and slowing deliver-
ies.
That comes at a time
when the industry is al-
ready in serious flux, with
manufacturers shifting to
cleaner cars, coping with
more tariffs, and a slowing
global economy.
“We still don’t know
what sort of changes Brexit
will bring at this point,”
said Hachigo. “We have to
wait until we have a better
idea about the situation.”
Hachigo
said
the
company
would
begin
discussions with affected
workers at the factory in
Swindon right away.
“I very much regret this,”
he said, adding that “this
was the best choice under
the circumstances.”
T
LANTERN FESTIVAL. Visitors tour the Forbidden City, decorated with red lanterns and illuminated with
lights, during the Lantern Festival in Beijing. For the first time since it was established 94 years ago, the Palace
Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, extended opening hours until nighttime and lit up part of its cultural
relics buildings. The Palace Museum was illuminated and opened for night visits to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
(AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Beijing’s Forbidden City
illuminated for Lantern Festival
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing’s Forbidden
City was illuminated and open to the
general public for night visits for the first
time to celebrate China’s Lantern
Festival.
As night fell, visitors were welcomed by
a light show at the Meridian Gate
exhibition hall. A dazzling array of lights
also lit up the Supreme Harmony Hall.
Chinese characters and traditional
decorations were projected on the outer
walls.
Along a corridor, the ancient Chinese
painting “Along the River During the
Qingming Festival” was projected on
rooftops.
The Forbidden City, which served as
China’s political center for more than 500
years, is now known as the Palace
Museum. China’s Lantern Festival
marked the end of Lunar New Year
festivities.
Indonesia makes 2032 Olympics bid official
By Niniek Karmini
The Associated Press
AKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia
has officially joined bidding to host
the 2032 Olympics following its
success staging the Asian Games last year,
the deputy chairman of its national
Olympic committee said, highlighting the
rising ambitions of the giant but
perennially underperforming Southeast
Asian nation.
Muddai Madang said letters from
President Joko Widodo and the national
Olympic committee were delivered to the
International Olympic Committee’s (IOC)
president in Lausanne by Indonesia’s
ambassador to Switzerland.
“Indonesia is ready to host the
Olympics,” Madang told The Associated
Press. “What we need now is support from
all the Indonesian people and the
international community.”
Widodo, who is campaigning for
re-election, made a surprise announce-
ment of plans to bid for the 2032 games
after the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and
Palembang co-hosted the 18th Asian
Games in August, and the process has
J
gathered momentum. The Olympics have
never been held in Southeast Asia.
There were doubts Indonesia could
successfully host the Asian Games, an
event involving more than 10,000 athletes,
but its reasonably smooth execution was
praised by the IOC, paving the way for a
tilt at even bigger sports events.
India is planning to bid for the 2032
games and North and South Korea have
confirmed an intention to launch a joint
bid. Australia and Russia have also
expressed interest.
Problems with the 2016 Olympics in
Brazil, a developing country that like
Indonesia suffers endemic corruption, may
count against the chances of the
Indonesian bid.
By some estimates it cost Brazil about
$20 billion to host the Olympics, the kind
of bill that is likely to raise objections in
Indonesia, despite projections it will be
among the world’s 10 biggest economies by
2030 with a population nearing 300
million.
Tokyo is hosting the 2020 Olympics.
Paris and Los Angeles have already been
selected to host the following two games, in
2024 and 2028, respectively.
Nepal expects more Everest climbers after China sets limits
By Binaj Gurubacharya
The Associated Press
ATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal is
expecting more climbers to try to
scale its side of Mount Everest in
the coming weeks after China said it would
limit attempts from the northern side,
according to officials.
Danduraj Ghimire of Nepal’s Tourism
Department said it expects more climbers
than usual will apply for climbing permits
during the spring climbing season.
Some 563 climbers scaled the 8,850-
meter (29,035-foot) peak from Nepal’s
southern side in 2018.
The spring climbing season, when
weather conditions are best on the world’s
highest peak, began March 1 and ends
May 31.
China said in January it would reduce
the number of climbers by one-third this
K
year as part of plans for a major cleanup of
the mountain that straddles the border
between the countries.
Expedition companies in Nepal say they
are prepared for additional climbers.
“There should not be any problem to
accommodate the flow of climbers to
Everest from the Nepal side. We have the
capability and are prepared,” said Pemba
Sherpa of Nepal-based Xtreme Climbers
Treks and Expedition.
Besides the hundreds of climbers and
their support teams that camp at the base
camp for months, more than 40,000
trekkers also hike to the camp, located at
17,400 feet. An increase in these hikers is
also likely, but officials were unable to say
by how much.
The tourism official said there are some
environmental concerns due to the
expected increase in climbers and
Continued on page 8
FACTORY FOLDING. Honda cars leave the Honda car factory
in Swindon, England. Japanese carmaker Honda has announced that its
car plant in Swindon will close with the potential loss of some 3,500 jobs.
(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Honda Motor Co. makes ogy is driving the change.
“We are facing increas-
its popular Civic model at
the factory, 70 miles west of ingly severe competition
London, with an output of from Chinese and Indian
150,000 cars per year. Its manufacturers,” he said.
restructuring is aimed at “We have to move more
adjusting its operations to quickly.”
Japan and the EU have
reflect stronger demand in
Asia and North America, also struck a free trade
deal, which makes a
Hachigo said.
The next model of Civic manufacturing presence in
to be sold in Britain will be the EU less important. The
exported from Japan, the U.K.’s decision to leave the
bloc could create further
company said.
Honda is also adjusting uncertainty for Japanese
its operations in Turkey, companies in Britain.
Christian Stadler, a
where it makes 38,000
Civic sedans a year. It said professor at Warwick Busi-
it would continue operating ness School in England,
there, however, and hold a said the loss of free entry
“constructive
dialogue” into the European market
from Britain undoes one of
with local stakeholders.
British businesses are its top advantages as a
issuing increasingly urgent manufacturing base.
Many businesses fear
warnings
about
the
damage being done by the economic chaos if there
lack of clarity surrounding isn’t an agreement on the
Britain’s divorce from the rules and conditions that
EU. The U.K. has yet to will replace the 45 years of
seal a deal laying out the frictionless trade that came
divorce terms and estab- with being an EU member.
uncertainty
has
lishing what trade rules The
already led many firms to
will apply after Brexit.
some
operations
In
presenting
the shift
restructuring
plan, abroad, stockpile goods, or
Hachigo stressed that defer investment decisions.
In February, Japan’s
Honda was striving to
adjust to a fast changing Nissan announced that it
Continued on page 8
global industry. Technol-
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