Showing 1 - 10 of 32
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.
Pakistan and Nepal pursue better understanding
Asia focus, Malika-e-Abida Khattak, Published on 20/06/2022
» Most bilateral relations in South Asia, including those between Nepal and Pakistan, are dominated by India's massive influence in the region. Nepal and Pakistan have a long history of diplomatic and political ties, and India has played an important role in their considerations.
Trading up
Asia focus, Asia Focus, Published on 10/01/2022
» Ravaged by the fallout from Covid-19, countries in Asia and the Pacific are hoping to revitalise their pandemic-hit economies as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) takes effect to create the world's largest trade bloc.
Pakistan a hub for South-Central Asian integration
Asia focus, Bilal Khan, Published on 10/01/2022
» Kyrgyzstan has become the latest country to formally express its desire to join the multi-billion-dollar China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) linking Western China with the Pakistani deep seaport of Gwadar at the mouth of Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
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.
Born to ride
Asia focus, Pattama Kuentak, Published on 20/12/2021
» One side of the room where I met Vimal Sumbly offered floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Bangkok's skyline, but it was what was on the opposite side that perfectly captured the adventurous spirit of the man who heads the Asia-Pacific business of the India-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield.
Thai at heart
Asia focus, Pattama Kuentak, Published on 15/11/2021
» Born and bred in the city-state, Raymond Han is 100% Singaporean. But his bond to Thailand goes deep, spanning almost two decades. It has led him to where he is now as a top executive of Patra Porcelain, which has been making some of the country's best-known products since 1982.
Helping Nature help itself
Asia focus, Pattama Kuentak, Published on 21/12/2020
» Decades of rapid economic growth and urbanisation have been marked by excessive exploitation of natural resources, particularly fossil fuels and forests, across the planet. The environmental and social consequences of such development are more evident than ever, especially in Asia.
Ramayana weaves a trail across South and Southeast Asia
Asia focus, Narendra Kaushik, Published on 10/02/2020
» When Bala Venketeswara Rao Sankuratri, a researcher from Sri Lanka, proposed that about a dozen countries join together to issue a "Ramayana visa" for travellers, he found instant support in a hall packed with devotees of the Sanskrit epic and its regional variants.
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.