Showing 1 - 10 of 40
Forest loss slowing in Indonesia and Malaysia
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 03/05/2021
» The pandemic prevented major countries and corporations from achieving environmental goals last year as they diverted resources toward economic recovery. Global rainforest conservation took one of its largest hits in almost two decades, with primary forest loss increasing by 12% from 2019, according to satellite data from Global Forest Watch.
Transforming the face of Chinese tech
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 26/04/2021
» China's technology industry is at a crossroads. In the middle of the Covid crisis last year, Chinese tech companies were booming as people embraced online services, entertainment and shopping. This led to a sharp rise in profits for the parent companies and soaring share prices.
The 6G revolution
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 12/04/2021
» While many countries are only starting to roll out 5G, China is already focusing on the development of 6G -- the next-generation mobile technology that will be orders of magnitude faster than its predecessor and a key enabler of the Internet of Things.
We may have already passed 'peak petrol'
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 05/04/2021
» Last year saw an 11% drop in global petrol consumption, marking the beginning of a historical shift after more than a century of continuous growth in demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is now predicting that we will probably never see pre-Covid levels of petrol use again.
What's next for Asian aviation?
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 08/03/2021
» The recent resurgence of Covid-19 infections across the region has snuffed out hopes that demand for travel will returning to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon. Last month, seat occupancy on Thai carriers fell to 13% of pre-virus levels, after an initial bump up to 46% in late December.
Supply chain bottlenecks in Vietnam
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 01/03/2021
» Vietnam's economy has fared better than that of almost any other country except China during the Covid-19 crisis. It grew by 2.9% last year while most other countries fell into recession.
Banking on the unbanked
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 22/02/2021
» Southeast Asia's fintech scene is going from strength to strength, with the regional industry valued at up to US$100 billion at the end of last year. Yet it has so far only produced a handful of unicorns -- startups valued at more than $1 billion.
Indonesia steps up creative economy drive
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 01/02/2021
» The United Nations has declared this year the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. Indonesia, having sponsored the proposal and proposed the theme of "Inclusively Creative: A Global Recovery", will lead the initiative to promote the creative economy, which is expected to become a new driver or prosperity.
Vietnam's clever rice strategy
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 25/01/2021
» Vietnam, the world's second largest rice exporter, this month made a surprising move by starting to import the grain from India. It is importing the cheaper Indian rice to meet domestic demand while saving its own output, which is currently selling at a multi-year high, for the export market.
Covid a chance to realign tourism industry
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 18/01/2021
» Tourism is probably the industry hit hardest by the pandemic, which is bad news for countries like Thailand. Prior to the outbreak, the tourism industry accounted for as much as one-fifth of the economy, but it has since dropped precipitously.