Vietnamese Officials Train to Streamline International Trade
More than 60 Vietnamese government officials participated in a USAID-sponsored workshop that will help the country implement a National Single Window—a clearance system that enables a single submission of customs data and a single point of decision-making among the parties involved in customs clearance. USAID partnered with the Association for Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Single Window initiative and the General Department of Vietnam Customs to present the workshop.

Earth Day Comes to Tibet
The herding people of the Ganzi Prefecture region of China’s Sichuan Province are learning to think of themselves as long term stewards of their own natural resources.  As part of a USAID-funded project, over 400 students from Tagong village and several villagers from Xiede planted trees that will provide erosion control and eventually, habitat for wildlife and native plants.

U.S. and Chinese Officials Explore Ways to Combat Air Pollution
Visiting experts form the California Air Resources Board met with power plant operators and the local environmental protection bureau in Anhui province to discuss ways to lower emissions from coal-fired power plants.  The training program was organized by USAID's ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP) and was attended by over 50 participants from the Huainan region, a provincial center for coal mining and power generation.

Thai and Washington-State Officials Cooperate to Improved Wastewater Management
Three senior managers from the Wastewater Management Authority of Thailand (WMA) visited counterparts in King County, Washington State, to learn best practices in water treatment facility management through hands-on training.  Based on the success of USAID-facilitated twinning, both parties discussed a plan to leverage their own resources to transform their relationship into a long-term partnership.

Workshop Builds Commitment for ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)
Representatives from 21 countries adopted a “Manifesto on Combating Wildlife Crime in Asia” that includes pledges to: 1) increase support for the USAID and DOS-supported ASEAN-WEN; 2) develop a South Asia WEN; and 3) engage consumer partner countries, including China, more effectively.  The manifesto was also ratified by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at a USAID-supported workshop in Thailand.

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