Showing 1 - 10 of 35
Mutual trust needed to strengthen digital economy
Asia focus, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, Published on 06/06/2022
» Digital technology has been recognised as one of the keys to achieving the Asean 2025 vision to create a "politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible community" in Southeast Asia.
The Quad at a crossroads
Asia focus, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 23/05/2022
» When the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was first conceived as a strategic coalition of the four leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific, many doubted it would amount to much. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi mocked it as a "headline-grabbing idea" that would dissipate "like the sea foam in the Pacific or Indian Ocean".
Taiwan feels chill from Ukraine crisis
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 28/02/2022
» Countries across the world are feeling the impact of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as stock markets tumble and oil prices spike. But Taiwan is feeling a particular chill, amid concerns that it eventually could face a similar fate at the hands of China.
Year of Turbulence
Asia focus, Asia Focus Team, Published on 27/12/2021
» Pandemic drags on recovery: In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, many Asian countries had enviable success, avoiding large-scale outbreaks and mass deaths. But the arrival of the more transmissible Delta variant this year and sluggish vaccine rollouts compounded by low availability sent cases surging. Combined with poor monitoring and easy movement among countries, often unofficially, Southeast Asia became a virus hotspot. The ballooning health crisis collided with churning political discontent in the case of Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. Economically, the new wave of infections, and attendant restrictions imposed to curb the spread, stalled recoveries. After nearly two years of strict border controls, many countries started to loosen up and live with Covid. But the rise of the Omicron variant now threatens to scuttle those tentative reopening plans and usher in a third year of economic anxiety.
Trade politics get very messy
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 27/09/2021
» Geopolitics in Asia Pacific have become increasingly complex and drawn growing interest from outsiders since the US, the UK and Australia announced a new alliance known as AUKUS to enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.
US and China should continue talks
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 20/09/2021
» The United States last Wednesday took a major step in challenging China's massive influence in Asia by announcing a plan to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines that could eventually make their way into contested waters claimed by Beijing.
In search of the middle ground
Asia focus, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, Published on 31/05/2021
» As the African proverb goes, when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. The intensifying China-US rivalry is putting mounting pressure on smaller countries, and Southeast Asian economies are no exception.
The 6G revolution
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 12/04/2021
» While many countries are only starting to roll out 5G, China is already focusing on the development of 6G -- the next-generation mobile technology that will be orders of magnitude faster than its predecessor and a key enabler of the Internet of Things.
Our thirst for semiconductors
Asia focus, Suwatchai Songwanich, Published on 29/03/2021
» Taiwan is facing its worst drought in 56 years, an event that is having an unexpected impact on its position as a global semiconductor production hub.
Myanmar doomed to suffer
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 22/03/2021
» Myanmar faces growing chaos as the fallout from the Feb 1 military coup intensifies. Protests and civil disobedience have hammered the economy as citizens continue to take to the streets to demand a return to democracy.