Xinhua Asia-Pacific News Summary at 0600 GMT, April 20

SENDAI, Japan -- China and Japan agreed to speed up preparations for launching an air and maritime contact mechanism in their ninth round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs held here from Thursday through Friday.

Officials from the two countries' ministries on foreign affairs, defense, security, natural resources, environment, transportation, and agriculture and some other departments attended the talks. (Japan-China-Maritime Affairs)

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Friday launched the eight-year budget system reform strategy (2018-2025) with the aim of further enhancing the effectiveness of state budget management and reallocation for government's institutions and public investments.

Speaking at the launching ceremony here, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said the strategy was the backbone of the Public Finance Management Reform Program, which has been carried out since 2004. (Cambodia-Budget Strategy)

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CANBERRA -- The Australian government has sought to improve accessibility to government services for people from Chinese background after the ABS' 2016 Census found that around 1 million Australians came from a Chinese background.

"To ensure that those from a Chinese background can easily access government services, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has more than 100 staff based around the country who are fluent in Chinese or Mandarin and are ready to help," Michael Keenan, Australia's minister for human services, said in a media release on Friday as Australia celebrates the Chinese Language Day. (Australia-Chinese-Services)

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KATHMANDU -- An aircraft belonging to Malindo Air has skidded off the runway at Nepal's Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) on Thursday night, airport officials confirmed.

An aircraft experienced runway excursion while it was preparing to take off for Malaysia at around 9:45 p.m. local time. (Nepal-Flight-Skid office) Enditem