Showing 1 - 10 of 78
Time to tone down Taiwan tensions
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 08/08/2022
» It was a picture-perfect shot, really. That was my thought when I saw US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing side by side with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei last Wednesday. But the one-day visit to the self-ruled island by the 82-year-old American politician has created no end of tension, not only for the US and China but also many of their allies across the Asia Pacific region.
Sri Lanka syndrome: Is Bangladesh out of danger?
Asia focus, Published on 08/08/2022
» With global inflation rising and the fear of fuel and food crises looming large, clouds are gathering on the economic horizon of South Asian countries. Sri Lanka in particular remains mired in a crisis driven by a mix of high indebtedness, soaring inflation and poor economic management.
Delayed Rohingya repatriation becoming a regional crisis
Asia focus, Published on 08/08/2022
» The future of the Rohingya people is not only a Bangladeshi issue, it is now a global issue. Bangladesh has been seeking the cooperation of regional countries and the United Nations to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya since they were first driven from Myanmar in 2017. But the results have not materialised, and the security risk is growing.
Empowering SMEs
Asia focus, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, Published on 01/08/2022
» 2022 has seen an "unprecedented confluence" of challenges for businesses across the world, from the protracted Covid-19 pandemic, economic slowdown and heightened inflation to geopolitical uncertainties. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally are among those hit hard by such an unfavourable environment.
The new Covid challenge
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 11/07/2022
» As many Thais return to the office, entertainment venues reopen and wearing face masks is no longer mandatory in outdoor public places, new daily coronavirus cases have begun to climb lately, notably among school students.
3 ways to advance the EV industry in 1 year
Asia focus, Published on 11/07/2022
» The verdict is in: the future is electric. Global electric vehicle (EV) sales are projected to soar to 31.2 million units by 2030, compared with 2.5 million in 2020, according to the consultancy Deloitte. It sees EVs making up 32% of all motor vehicle sales by 2030, and other industry analysts estimate that by 2040, electric cars will outsell internal-combustion engine (ICE) models.
Tech disrupted by reality
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 20/06/2022
» When Covid-19 emerged more than two years ago, millions of people including myself suddenly found ourselves stuck at home. To survive the unprecedented challenges and stress, I started to befriend mobile apps I hadn't used before to buy things and pay bills online, among them the e-commerce platform Shopee.
Frontier markets fret
Asia focus, Published on 20/06/2022
» 2022 has been another challenging year for Asian frontier markets against the backdrop of a recovery from the protracted coronavirus pandemic. The challenges have been magnified by the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and high commodity prices that are exacerbating inflationary pressures, even as global demand for manufactured goods remains weak.
Asean-US balancing act
Asia focus, Published on 25/04/2022
» The commitment of the United States to Southeast Asia since the end of the Vietnam War has been subject to a series of ebbs, flows and imbalances. History shows that it tends to wane whenever Washington is distracted by other global developments.
Transforming Japan
Asia focus, Published on 14/03/2022
» Japan has started to pursue a "new form of capitalism" as the flagship agenda of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida amid the challenges posed by the lingering pandemic and new shocks delivered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.