Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, March 31

JAKARTA — Southeast Asian countries have agreed to reinforce the use of local currencies in the region and reduce reliance on major international currencies in an effort to avoid spillover from the global crisis, Indonesia’s central bank said on Friday.

The agreement came on the last day of a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, which was held in Indonesia’s Bali island, with Indonesia being this year’s ASEAN chair. (Indonesia-ASEAN-Local Currency)

– – – –

TOKYO — Japan will postpone an H2A rocket launch originally scheduled for May until August or later, the nation’s space agency said on Friday.

The decision was made as the rocket shares components in second-stage engines with its successor H3 rocket, which was forced to self-destruct shortly after takeoff in March. (Japan-Rocket Launch-Delay)

– – – –

JAKARTA — The track laying of the whole line of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) was completed on Friday, laying a solid foundation for the opening of its operation with high quality.

The track-laying task was undertaken by the Chinese construction consortium led by China Railway International Co., Ltd. This railway has a total length of 142.3 kilometers, and the total track-laying length reaches 308.3 kilometers, using 500-meter-long steel rails produced in China. (Indonesia-HSR-Construction)

– – – –

MACAO — China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Friday held a conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR.

Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech. (Macao-Basic Law-Anniversary)

– – – –

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia and Egypt have signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to advance bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, antiquities, and diplomacy, said a Cambodian Foreign Ministry’s press on Friday.

The MoUs were inked on Thursday during Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn’s official visit to Egypt, the statement said. (Cambodia-Egypt-MoU)

– – – –

NEW DELHI — The death toll in Thursday’s mishap inside a temple in central India has risen to 35, a senior police officer said on Friday.

Rescue work at the mishap site in Indore city of central state of Madhya Pradesh is still going on, as one person is reportedly missing, said the officer. (India-Temple Stampede-Death Toll)