Showing 1 - 10 of 17
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.
Collaboration for the climate
Asia focus, Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, Published on 18/07/2022
» A commitment to cooperation between countries in Southeast Asia remains the key to tackling climate change as its impact continues to take a greater toll on the region's economy and people, say experts.
Chinese policies hold back growth
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 24/01/2022
» When I first heard a Moody's economist discuss the cooling Chinese economy late last year, it caught my interest but not much. As we have been living with a pandemic for two years, an economic slowdown seems unavoidable, even in the country that has been the world's engine of growth for years.
Speaking up about forced labour
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 20/12/2021
» In a move that could further sour relations between the world's two largest economies, the US Congress last week agreed on legislation aimed at punishing China for the alleged oppression of Uighur Muslims.
Xinjiang genocide allegations are unjustified
Asia focus, Jeffrey Sachs and William Schabas, Published on 10/05/2021
» The US government has needlessly escalated its rhetoric against China by claiming that a genocide is being mounted against the Uighur people in the Xinjiang region.
Why China's Hong Kong crackdown could backfire
Asia focus, Minxin Pei, Published on 22/03/2021
» The Year of the Ox began darkly for the people of Hong Kong. On Feb 16, nine pro-democracy activists, including 82-year-old Martin Lee, the revered long-time leader of the city's Democratic Party, went on trial facing charges of illegal assembly.
Trade, trust and Asia's future
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 05/10/2020
» Despite being severely dragged down by the protracted Covid-19 pandemic, many economies in Asia seem to be bulletproof, kind of. One of the top performers has been Vietnam, long one of Asia's fastest growing economies, which expanded by 2.62% in the third quarter.
Could the 'next normal' emerge from Asia?
Asia focus, Oliver Tonby and Jonathan Woetzel, Published on 20/04/2020
» It is now clear that Covid-19 has presented the global economy with an unprecedented challenge. Efforts to control the virus through lockdowns are likely to lead to the largest decline in economic activity since the Great Depression in the United States and Europe. And while safeguarding human lives is imperative, the toll on human livelihoods will also undoubtedly be significant.
Winning the war on plastic
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 13/01/2020
» Asia is picking up the pace in tackling the plastic crisis. In Bangladesh, the High Court last Monday ordered the government to ban single-use plastics in coastal areas and in hotels and restaurants in one year. It also ordered the government to strictly enforce the ban on polyethylene -- the main ingredient in many plastic bags -- under the existing law.
Palm oil diplomacy
Asia focus, Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, Published on 23/12/2019
» Indonesia is stepping up its economic diplomacy in 2020 as trade disputes with the European Union (EU) are poised to escalate. The two sides have traded complaints at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Indonesia's two main commodities, palm oil and nickel ore, even as they continue talks for a free trade agreement.