Showing 1 - 10 of 124
Artists resist repression in Thailand, US
Oped, Sally Tyler, Published on 08/12/2025
» In late August, two seemingly unrelated events occurred in Thailand and the US. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) altered a major exhibit it had recently opened and, a few weeks later, the comedian Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily taken off the air by the ABC television network. These events are linked as forms of artistic repression and perhaps more concerning, as examples of the growing use of intermediary censorship by authoritarian regimes.
Recasting Korea–Asean relations
Oped, Suh Jeong-in, Published on 03/12/2025
» At the Asean–Republic of Korea (ROK) Commemorative Summit in Kuala Lumpur in October, President Lee Jae-myung presented a five-year vision for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
Wall Street risks shorting freedom in HK
Oped, Mark L Clifford, Published on 31/10/2025
» In early November, Wall Street's big guns will head to Hong Kong for a global financial summit, dining at the Palace Museum (featuring Chinese imperial works on loan from Beijing) before meeting at the nearby Rosewood Hotel -- one of the city's swankiest. There, the top brass from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and another 100 financial firms will enjoy delicious food and breathtaking views as Hong Kong's leaders pitch them on the profits to be made in the former British colony.
What's to blame for inequality?
Oped, Keun Lee, Published on 01/09/2025
» Over a decade ago, Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson, together with their co-author Thierry Verdier, contrasted America's "cutthroat" brand of capitalism with Western Europe's "cuddly" version. The qualities that make cutthroat capitalism more conducive to innovation, they argued, also lead to higher levels of inequality, while cuddly reward structures tend to lead to lower growth and higher welfare. Today, inequality is soaring, notably in the United States. Do policies aimed at boosting innovation risk making a bad situation worse?
Vietnam steps up as a regional leader
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/08/2025
» Vietnam wisely chose South Korea to showcase a new strategic-economic partnership in the region, focusing on growing trade, investment, and diplomatic cooperation. As the first country to dispatch a top leader to meet newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, the Hanoi government sends a clear signal to both Northeast and Southeast Asia that South Korea and Vietnam are emerging together as a driving force of regional connectivity and economic growth.
Can Europe, China forge a climate connection?
Oped, Emmanuel Guerin & Bernice Lee, Published on 12/08/2025
» Earlier this year, the Chinese firm CATL, the world's largest battery-maker, unveiled an electric-vehicle (EV) battery capable of delivering a remarkable 520 kilometres (323 miles) of driving range after just five minutes of charging. The announcement came a month after BYD, China's leading EV manufacturer, launched its own ultra-fast charging system. In solar, too, the numbers are staggering: Chinese firms can now produce over 1,200 gigawatts of solar panels annually.
Singapore turns 60 with much to show
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 08/08/2025
» No country turns 60 like Singapore. In a neighbourhood of political dynasties and varying shades of autocracies and flawed democracies, the little island state of six million got lucky with its strongman rule. When he died in 2015, Singapore's patriarchal founder Lee Kuan Yew left a great country behind. This weekend, Singaporeans can take stock of what's gone by and rightly celebrate its milestone with much to show for.
Cost, benefit of global value chain
Oped, Keun Lee and Isabel Álvarez, Published on 11/07/2025
» Geopolitics are a major driver of the deglobalisation now being spearheaded by the United States. But there are also economic arguments to be made for bringing supply chains closer to home. So, what are the economic costs of globalisation, and do they outweigh the benefits?
Tariff man Trump vs united Asean
Oped, Kishore Mahbubani, Published on 09/06/2025
» US President Donald Trump's tariffs -- especially the ultra-high "reciprocal tariffs" that he says will be reintroduced on July 8 for any country that has not struck a trade deal with his administration -- have sent countries around the world scrambling to respond, adapt and limit the fallout. Asean's 10 members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- have been among the most proactive.
When is enough really enough?
Oped, Jamie Waddell, Published on 06/03/2025
» The recent crash of a bus that overturned and killed many people in Prachin Buri is not just another road safety incident. This type of incident forms part of a pattern that has not been addressed let alone answered. The purpose of a collision investigation (they are not accidents) is to determine the root cause to provide information to prevent such incidents form occurring again.