Showing 1 - 10 of 26
AI as Asia's new growth engine?
Oped, Lee Jong-wha, Published on 27/11/2025
» Two decades after globalisation fuelled a global economic boom, growth has shifted onto a more subdued path, where it is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Beyond the immediate shock of fragmenting trade and investment ties -- a result of rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between the United States and China -- lie structural headwinds, including population ageing, stagnant productivity, and the growing costs of inequality and natural disaster. These challenges strike at the heart of Asia's growth model.
Tackling Asean grid's $800bn challenge
News, Rapeepat Ingkasit, Published on 22/11/2025
» Every energy planner must balance the "trilemma" of security, equity, and environmental sustainability.
Conflict undermines cooperation
Oped, David Jay Green, Published on 05/08/2025
» The long-standing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand has again escalated to actual conflict. Dozens of people have been killed, more have been injured, and more than 170,000 people have had to flee their homes. Cross-border trade and tourism are on hold. As I write this piece, a fragile ceasefire is still in place, but we need more than this; we need an end to hostilities between the two countries.
Urbanisation needs a gender reset
Oped, Sanjay Mathur, Published on 05/03/2025
» Urbanisation is reshaping our world and future, and nowhere is this transformation more profound than in Asia. Today, more than 2.2 billion people -- 54% of the global urban population -- live in Asian cities. By 2050, this figure is expected to increase by an additional 1.2 billion people. As urban centres expand, so must our vision for them. Cities must work for everyone, and that means gender-responsive urban planning must top our agenda.
Transition-finance for a green economy
Oped, Sarinee Achavanuntakul, Published on 05/03/2025
» For those who advocate for more timely and meaningful climate finance commensurate with the increasingly cataclysmic impact of climate change, the year 2025 seems to begin on a rocky start. Early last month, 11 large US and Canadian banks exited the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), the UN-backed coalition of banks that claim their dedication to advancing global net zero goals through financing activities.
China: Benefactor or imperial menace?
Oped, Kasit Piromya, Published on 06/09/2024
» Since the start of the 21st century, China has shown its desire to recapture its previous position as the world's most powerful and influential nation. Centuries ago, China -- going by the name of the "Middle Kingdom" -- was the world's most influential nation until Western European countries arrived on the shores of the Chinese empire in the early 16th century.
Net-zero finance must be equitable
Oped, Masatsugu Asakawa, Published on 13/08/2024
» The Asia and the Pacific region stand at a critical juncture, positioned both as a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and a potential leader in transformative climate action. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), alongside our member countries, is steering the region towards a sustainable future through support for a just transition. Our vision aims to reorient economic and social frameworks to foster low-carbon, climate-resilient growth that enhances prosperity and inclusion.
Unlocking dollars to ease a crisis
Oped, Masatsugu Asakawa, Published on 12/10/2023
» The world is at a tipping point. The pandemic left a toxic legacy of spiralling poverty, debt distress, and inequality, all amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis. Even more alarming is climate change, a long-term existential threat that is already wrecking lives and costing billions.
What happened to all those Chinese tourists?
Bloomberg News, Published on 29/07/2023
» Before Covid-19, Malaysia’s luxury mall beneath Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers echoed with the sound of Chinese tourists and their dialects. But recently, during a busy dinner hour, they were missing. Din, the mall’s outlet of famous Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung, a favourite of Chinese tourists, was half-full with local Malaysians and Middle Eastern customers. When I asked a cashier whether they had served many Chinese lately, she shook her head with a tight smile.
Invest in quality infrastructure
News, Masatsugu Asakawa & Sri Mulyani Indrawati & Indranee Rajah & Shunichi Suzuki, Published on 08/05/2023
» Covid-19 has brought severe hardships to countless people and communities across the globe, but for the economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a resilient recovery is underway.