Showing 1 - 10 of 251
Our tariff-era dollar, your problem
Oped, Qiyuan Xu, Published on 04/02/2026
» In 2025, the dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of major currencies, fell by roughly 9.4%. Over the same period, the United States' average effective tariff rate rose by around 14.4 percentage points, from 2.4% to 16.8%, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Taken together, these shifts imply that, in the import trade domain, the US experienced an effective exchange-rate depreciation of around 24%.
Trade conflicts destroy the planet
Oped, Qiyuan Xu, Published on 12/12/2025
» Tariff wars are often justified as necessary to protect or reshore manufacturing jobs and to improve national security. But, according to new research, these conflicts produce another outcome that is largely overlooked: pollution. When global supply chains are forced into inefficient detours, carbon dioxide emissions rise.
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).
Klatham MP faces grilling over ties to gambling
Oped, Aekarach Sattaburuth, Published on 13/11/2025
» A House committee has summoned Chonnaphat Naksua, a Klatham Party MP for Songkhla, to clarify allegations regarding his involvement with online gambling networks after the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) froze 159 million baht of his assets.
Landmine sparks fear
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/11/2025
» The latest landmine explosion, which injured four soldiers and left one without a foot, not only undermines attempts at peace between Thailand and Cambodia but also sparks fears of an all-out war as Thailand faces pressure to retaliate and teach its neighbour a lesson.
Is Takaichi Sanae the 'Iron Lady' of Japan?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 10/11/2025
» For the first time in its history, Japan's parliament has selected a woman, Takaichi Sanae of the Liberal Democratic Party, to be prime minister. In this sense, Ms Takaichi has already followed in the footsteps of her political idol, Margaret Thatcher -- the UK's first female PM. But whether she is remembered as Japan's own "Iron Lady" will depend on her ability to manage three key challenges: inflation, low female labour-force participation and a fraught geopolitical environment.
Reform retirement
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/11/2025
» Many governments have toyed with the idea of extending the retirement age for civil servants, following the footsteps of Western countries. Yet, none has treated it as seriously as the current administration.
Time to focus on climate funding
Oped, Rakesh Mohan & Janak Raj, Published on 04/11/2025
» Discussions about climate finance often focus on the most vulnerable countries, such as small island developing states -- and for good reason. But the nine major emerging-market economies (EMEs) -- Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey -- also have significant climate-finance needs, which must be met if the world is to have any chance of achieving its climate goals. Nowhere are those needs larger than in China.
Timor-Leste's long road to Asean
Oped, Ronny P Sasmita, Published on 22/10/2025
» This Sunday, when Timor-Leste finally joins Asean as its 11th member, it will mark a diplomatic triumph for one of Asia's smallest states and a moral test for the region's most enduring organisation. For Dili, this long-awaited step is not about prestige; it is about survival, legitimacy, and opportunity. For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), welcoming Timor-Leste completes the Southeast Asian map but also exposes the limits of its inclusivity.
Indonesia and Nepal's 2025 wake-up call
Oped, Simon Hutagalung, Published on 12/09/2025
» Two nations with different characteristics -- Indonesia and Nepal -- experienced identical severe storms when 2025 arrived. The people of Jakarta took to the streets to express their discontent about elite advantages, economic difficulties and government secrecy. The Nepalese government issued a ban on 26 social media platforms, which triggered youth protests that evolved into violent civil unrest throughout Kathmandu.