https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/328050/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele A private jet hired from Malaysia – seemingly destined for the Philippines – but stopped on the tarmac by Laos’ drug police who found suitcases stuffed with 512kg of crystal methamphetamine, has returned the spotlight to the unrelenting flow of narcotics from the Mekong’s drug laboratories. Cyberscams have dominated headlines and authorities’ attention across Southeast Asia for over a year as the leading criminal enterprise worth tens of billions of dollars annually. But methamphetamine – in its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371043/laos-private-jet-bust-reveals-how-mekong-meth-slips-past-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371043/laos-private-jet-bust-reveals-how-mekong-meth-slips-past-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:17:17 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Chinese military aircraft may already be using a new joint aviation facility in Laos, with satellite imagery showing twice as many K-8/JL-8-family trainer aircraft there as the Laotian air force is assessed to possess. Eight of the two-seat trainer and light-attack aircraft were visible at Ban Keun Airport in commercial satellite imagery taken on September 30, according to Reuters, which first reported the images. More than two dozen military and support vehicles were also visible. The image was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370439/are-chinese-military-aircraft-already-using-new-joint-air-facility-laos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370439/are-chinese-military-aircraft-already-using-new-joint-air-facility-laos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A newly opened China-backed air force training centre in Laos could unsettle Vietnam, even as it aims to modernise Vientiane’s military and balance defence ties among Beijing, Moscow and Hanoi, observers say. China’s National Defence Ministry said last Tuesday that the joint support and training facility at Ban Keun Airport in the Laotian capital would strengthen the expertise of local air force pilots and was “not directed against any third party”. “The establishment and operation of the two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370136/why-chinas-new-air-force-base-laos-could-rattle-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370136/why-chinas-new-air-force-base-laos-could-rattle-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:47:35 +0000 The Star The Star The 521kg (1,148lbs) of suspected methamphetamine seized by Laotian authorities from a private jet was not sourced from Malaysia, with the drugs believed to have originated in Laos and been destined for Manila, the Philippines. Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Hussein Omar Khan said police were informed by Laotian authorities on Tuesday that the cross-border smuggling attempt had been foiled at Luang Prabang International Airport last Thursday. Hussein said the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369969/521kg-meth-seized-laos-private-jet-bound-manila-not-malaysia-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369969/521kg-meth-seized-laos-private-jet-bound-manila-not-malaysia-police?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:30:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Risks to Southeast Asia’s energy supplies are multiplying faster than nations are coming up with solutions to meet rapidly rising demand for electricity, according to an International Energy Agency report released on Tuesday. Southeast Asia has a seemingly insatiable appetite for energy, but the region is now in a pinch as energy costs rise, partly due to the Iran war. Fast-growing Southeast Asian economies also need more electricity to power data centres and keep homes and businesses cool. To... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/article/3369949/rising-electricity-needs-put-southeast-asias-energy-security-risk-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/article/3369949/rising-electricity-needs-put-southeast-asias-energy-security-risk-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Laotian citizen deported by the United States to eSwatini under Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was released from a maximum-security prison in the African nation on Sunday after being held there for more than a year, his lawyer said. Phone Chomsavanh was among five immigrants deported to eSwatini – where he has no ties – in July 2025, in the early days of the Trump administration’s secretive and highly contentious third-country deportation programme. Chomsavanh’s US-based... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369736/laotian-man-freed-eswatini-jail-14-months-after-us-third-country-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369736/laotian-man-freed-eswatini-jail-14-months-after-us-third-country-deportation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:48:16 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage From online-gambling rings in eSwatini to SIM swapping in Kenya and cybercrime networks in Zambia, a wave of cross-border fraud is drawing African governments and China into closer security cooperation. China hosted East African security ministers and police chiefs in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, on September 10 for talks on terrorism, kidnapping, online fraud and other cross-border threats. China’s public security minister, Wang Xiaohong, said Beijing would strengthen law-enforcement... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369660/china-and-africa-boost-law-enforcement-ties-crackdown-cross-border-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369660/china-and-africa-boost-law-enforcement-ties-crackdown-cross-border-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 22:00:12 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump condemns ‘sick conspiracy’ against AI, says he is only guardrail needed US President Donald Trump downplayed growing concerns about artificial intelligence, claiming America already has guardrails to regulate the industry and warning that casting doubt on development only benefits... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369257/america-back-ai-conspiracy-chinas-laos-deal-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369257/america-back-ai-conspiracy-chinas-laos-deal-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Just under a third of Singaporeans, or 31.4 per cent, believe that nuclear energy promises a clean power source with the greatest potential in the city state, representing the highest acceptance rate in Southeast Asia, a new study has found. The approval rate represented an 11.1 per cent increase from 2024, the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook 2026 Survey found, even as solar energy continued to be the most popular choice. Singapore is studying advanced nuclear technologies, including small... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3369437/nearly-third-singaporeans-open-nuclear-energys-potential-highest-asean-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3369437/nearly-third-singaporeans-open-nuclear-energys-potential-highest-asean-study?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:25:33 +0000 Liu Zhen,Gabriel Dominguez Liu Zhen,Gabriel Dominguez China has launched an air force support and training centre in Laos, its third overseas military outpost, which observers say could help the PLA expand its footprint and interests in the region. The China-Laos Joint Support and Training Centre and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now in operation at the Ban Keun Airport, aiming to help the Laotian Air Force train its pilots, China’s defence ministry said in a statement. The two institutions would be jointly maintained and operated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369253/china-expands-overseas-military-presence-new-laos-air-force-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369253/china-expands-overseas-military-presence-new-laos-air-force-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:08:41 +0000 Daryl Ng Daryl Ng The official opening of the Pinglu Canal on September 16 is a milestone in modern Chinese history. More than an infrastructural feat, it signals a strategic recalibration of how China’s inland economies connect with the sea and Southeast Asia, and augurs the next phase of regional growth. Designed for vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, the 134.2km (83.4 mile) waterway stretches from the Xijin reservoir in Hengzhou, an emerging city in Guangxi, to the Gulf of Tonkin (known as the Beibu Gulf in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368947/hong-kong-mustnt-miss-boat-pinglu-canal-and-asean-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3368947/hong-kong-mustnt-miss-boat-pinglu-canal-and-asean-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Zha Daojiong Zha Daojiong Critical minerals have become a recurring source of friction in international diplomacy, with China’s dominance in the sector and US efforts to build alternative supply chains raising concerns that Southeast Asian countries may be forced to choose between the two powers. But this is a false choice. As important exporters of rare earth elements, Southeast Asian countries have leverage of their own and can use intensifying competition to diversify partnerships and capture more of the value chain... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3368823/southeast-asia-faces-false-binary-us-china-mineral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3368823/southeast-asia-faces-false-binary-us-china-mineral-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Winston Churchill famously praised the resilience of the British people during the Blitz, describing the nightly bombings of London as a “cruel, wanton, indiscriminate” attempt by Adolf Hitler to break the spirit of a tough “island race”. He was not wrong about the toughness and courage of his fellow citizens. But as one of the United Kingdom’s greatest leaders and historical writers, he created a false impression of the uniqueness of the British wartime experience. Strategic bombing alone,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366939/us-israeli-failure-bomb-iran-submission-was-preordained?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Aidan Jones,Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Kolette Lim,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Kolette Lim,Ushar Daniele Dr Asma Zafirah doesn’t need satellite images to know when Kalimantan is burning. She sees it in the watery eyes and laboured breaths of the patients at her clinic in Sarawak, and the children who are kept home from school to protect them from the toxic air. Southeast Asia’s transboundary haze crisis was meant to have been brought under control six years ago. But Borneo is once again belching out dangerous emissions, as fires in the peatlands and forests of Kalimantan – Indonesia’s section of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3367217/smoke-how-southeast-asia-bungled-its-haze-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3367217/smoke-how-southeast-asia-bungled-its-haze-response?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim As Singapore considers joining a China-led body on artificial intelligence, analysts say membership would give the city state a bigger say in global governance matters related to the technology but may invite an unfriendly response from Washington. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo revealed in parliament earlier this week that Singapore had received an invitation to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico). Singapore would consider the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367253/singapore-weighs-joining-china-led-ai-body-does-it-risk-us-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367253/singapore-weighs-joining-china-led-ai-body-does-it-risk-us-retaliation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:53:24 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Cross-border disasters along China’s frontiers are putting Beijing’s neighbourhood diplomacy to the test as climate shocks grow and expose strategic vulnerabilities. The stakes were highlighted last week after a sudden glacial collapse in the Himalayas unleashed a torrent of mud and flooding that ravaged nearby villages and the Gyirong Port between China and Nepal, leaving more than 1,250 dead in Nepal and 21 dead in the Tibet autonomous region. Thousands also remain missing. Beyond the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366345/how-natural-disasters-are-putting-chinas-neighbourhood-diplomacy-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366345/how-natural-disasters-are-putting-chinas-neighbourhood-diplomacy-test?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Cambodia says it has flushed out a scam industry estimated to have stolen tens of billions of US dollars last year alone, but a string of arrests in recent days suggests the gangs behind it may have simply changed address. Scam centres proliferated across Cambodia during the pandemic, when hundreds of thousands of jobless young people were pulled into defunct casino complexes to target victims worldwide with bogus romance, cryptocurrency and investment frauds. Chinese criminal networks found an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3366072/southeast-asias-scam-gangs-regroup-after-cambodias-purge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3366072/southeast-asias-scam-gangs-regroup-after-cambodias-purge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:19:05 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang As President Xi Jinping hailed a cross-border railway project via Kyrgyzstan during his visit to the Central Asian country, Beijing is accelerating efforts to expand railway links with neighbours – from Mongolia to Vietnam – to boost regional trade and hedge against rising geopolitical risks. Meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek on Monday, Xi stressed the importance of building a “high-quality China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway”, describing it as “a major transportation artery... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3365939/carries-regions-hopes-xi-hails-kyrgyzstan-project-china-ramps-railway-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/policy/article/3365939/carries-regions-hopes-xi-hails-kyrgyzstan-project-china-ramps-railway-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Myanmar military air strike on a monastery where civilians were gathered for a meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent killed 14 people, two rebel fighters who witnessed the aftermath said. Myanmar has been consumed by civil war since the military staged a 2021 coup ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and detaining the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Over the past five years, more than 100,000 people are estimated to have been killed across all sides as the military battles an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364928/myanmar-air-strike-kills-14-praying-monastery-rebel-witnesses-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364928/myanmar-air-strike-kills-14-praying-monastery-rebel-witnesses-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:48:41 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Not long ago, eating a whole durian was a splurge for many Chinese households, with the fruit’s demanding storage and transport requirements helping to keep prices high. This summer, the pungent spiky fruit has become cheap enough for “durian price plunge” to become a trending topic on Chinese social media. Retail prices for some durians have nearly halved, plunging to below 40 yuan (US$6) per kilogram, according to Chinese media reports. At Guangzhou’s Jiangnan wholesale fruit and vegetable... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364854/chinese-durian-lovers-rejoice-new-rail-routes-bring-supply-surge-and-lower-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3364854/chinese-durian-lovers-rejoice-new-rail-routes-bring-supply-surge-and-lower-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Southeast Asian leaders have long insisted they will not be forced to pick sides in the great-power rivalry between the US and China. But their posture is about to be further tested. This time, the battleground is AI. While Washington wants the region locked into Pax Silica – its bid to build a China-free artificial intelligence supply chain – Beijing wants its neighbours to join China’s own World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico). Sources told the South China Morning Post... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364853/china-and-us-push-southeast-asia-over-their-ai-blocs-will-it-test-regions-non-alignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364853/china-and-us-push-southeast-asia-over-their-ai-blocs-will-it-test-regions-non-alignment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:00:05 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The White House has raised the alarm over what it terms a “shadow” network of over 40 nations allegedly facilitating a massive transshipment scam, claiming that these countries are mislabelling the origin of Chinese exports to deceive American customs officials. While Washington frames this as an international conspiracy to rob the American economy of tens of billions of dollars, it is, in reality, a glaring admission of the ineffectiveness of its own trade policies. Titled “The Great... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3364529/transshipment-scam-not-global-conspiracy-warning-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3364529/transshipment-scam-not-global-conspiracy-warning-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang The Hong Kong Gold Exchange (HKGX) and TGX Technology have launched a joint venture to build a “secure, stable and internationally competitive” gold trading and clearing platform, as the city pushes to become a gold trading hub. Hong Kong Gold Exchange Trading System (HKGXTS) would draw on technology partners, including Alibaba Cloud – which backs TGX Technology – and Hundsun Technologies, to deliver the platform, according to a statement issued on Tuesday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3364508/hong-kong-gold-exchange-taps-tech-strength-joint-venture-power-gold-settlement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3364508/hong-kong-gold-exchange-taps-tech-strength-joint-venture-power-gold-settlement?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:28:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand’s justice minister pledged on Tuesday to review pardon criteria following backlash over the release of an 85-year-old drug trafficker who served less than a decade of a life prison sentence. Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla turned drug runner linked to powerful Myanmar drug kingpins, was arrested by undercover officers in 2016 for selling crystal meth in the Golden Triangle drug-producing region. The rugged Golden Triangle zone – where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364409/thailand-review-pardon-rules-after-release-85-year-old-drug-lord-brings-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364409/thailand-review-pardon-rules-after-release-85-year-old-drug-lord-brings-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 07:35:44 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asian exporters may soon face a heavier burden of proof to show they are not helping Chinese goods dodge US tariffs after the White House named nine countries in the region as part of what it called a global “Shadow Transshipment Network”. The warning came in a White House report titled “The Great Transshipment Scam”, which alleged that Chinese-origin goods were being routed through lower-tariff jurisdictions and re-entering the US market under new national identities. Analysts said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364381/us-transshipment-scam-claims-put-asean-exporters-bind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364381/us-transshipment-scam-claims-put-asean-exporters-bind?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:13:59 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan After last year’s border conflict with Cambodia, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers left Thailand, exposing how dependent parts of its economy had become on cross-border labour. Thailand has tried to ease the squeeze by holding on to workers already in the country, especially Myanmar nationals. But figures from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and warnings from employer groups point to a deeper problem: a workforce built around proximity, familiarity and low travel costs cannot... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3364128/how-cambodian-worker-exodus-exposes-thailands-fragile-labour-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3364128/how-cambodian-worker-exodus-exposes-thailands-fragile-labour-model?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A UN investigative report accusing Myanmar’s military of carrying out a “sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians” has muddied Min Aung Hlaing’s push for regional acceptance – but analysts say it is unlikely to derail his efforts to win recognition for his post-election government. The report by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a body appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, documents a year-long investigation into alleged “war crimes and crimes against... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364049/un-atrocity-report-adds-friction-myanmar-juntas-diplomatic-push-legitimacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364049/un-atrocity-report-adds-friction-myanmar-juntas-diplomatic-push-legitimacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:58:50 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by surging waters across Myanmar and Laos, with Thai farming communities along the Mekong River bracing themselves for difficult days ahead as authorities warn persistent heavy rains may bring flash floods. Each year monsoon rains bring extensive flooding across the region. Environmental campaigners say the damage is exacerbated by changing weather patterns and deforestation, as well as the string of dams across arterial rivers – like the Mekong –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363945/floods-devastate-mekong-communities-economic-strain-conflict-compound-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363945/floods-devastate-mekong-communities-economic-strain-conflict-compound-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:31:08 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A study analysing data from hundreds of countries and regions suggests China’s Belt and Road Initiative is linked to better governance and economic development, according to researchers from Nanjing University. They found the trade and investment scheme – which spans Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond – was also associated with improved corruption control and that it reduced debt risks. The team – from the university’s Centre for Asia-Pacific Development Studies and led by Mao Weizhun – said their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3363782/nearly-200-country-study-shows-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-cuts-debt-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3363782/nearly-200-country-study-shows-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-cuts-debt-and-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Fears of a new industrial revolution in which artificial intelligence replaces manual labour have yet to materialise in Southeast Asia – but white-collar workers should brace themselves. Nearly one in four workers in the region face generative AI (GenAI) disrupting or affecting their jobs, according to a July report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Clerical, administrative and professional positions were most at risk, the report stated. Manual trades, craft and agricultural work... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3363748/ai-threatens-nearly-quarter-southeast-asias-workforce-all-not-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3363748/ai-threatens-nearly-quarter-southeast-asias-workforce-all-not-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong is finding its place in the national mission and is rapidly increasing its economic footprint across Asia. The opening of a new Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur marks a significant expansion of the city’s network, bringing the total number of overseas ETOs outside mainland China to 15. Hong Kong also has five offices on the mainland. The establishment of the Kuala Lumpur ETO represents a rapid achievement for the administration, moving from the initial announcement by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3363735/hong-kongs-economic-and-trade-network-plays-citys-strengths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3363735/hong-kongs-economic-and-trade-network-plays-citys-strengths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Han Li,Lucy Quaggin Han Li,Lucy Quaggin The Trump administration is on pace to revoke a record number of visas this year, the State Department said on Monday, as it disclosed that more than 175,000 had been revoked since US President Donald Trump returned to office. The visas were revoked from foreign nationals who “violated the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against US citizens, defrauded Americans, abused our immigration system, or endangered national security”, according to the State Department. A State... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3363583/us-visa-revocations-hit-175000-pace-new-record-under-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3363583/us-visa-revocations-hit-175000-pace-new-record-under-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 21:45:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The UN’s migration agency is warning that criminal networks have been trafficking hundreds of thousands of people – many of them educated English speakers – to work in online scam centres, and the caseload is growing. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says victims are often lured by fake job advertisements – mostly through social media – promising work abroad, only to get locked up, have their identity documents seized, and be forced through violence, threats and “debt bondage”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3362205/asian-scam-gangs-snare-educated-english-speakers-fake-job-ads-un-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3362205/asian-scam-gangs-snare-educated-english-speakers-fake-job-ads-un-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2026 04:08:07 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asia’s governments have spent months trying to blunt the effects of war-driven energy shocks from the Middle East, but renewed fighting between the United States and Iran has exposed how limited those defences are, analysts have warned. The latest flare-up has revived fears of a second round of fuel disruption across the region, where many economies remain heavily dependent on imported oil and shipping routes linked to the Gulf. Southeast Asian leaders expressed “grave concern” over... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361765/can-southeast-asia-survive-more-iran-war-fuel-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361765/can-southeast-asia-survive-more-iran-war-fuel-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:31:18 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet pledged to step up a crackdown on transnational online scam networks, but warned the criminal syndicates were adapting by fracturing into smaller, decentralised cells across the region. Authorities had already shut down more than 670 illegal scam operations while expanding intelligence sharing with key international law enforcement partners, he said, including during a visit this week with US Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel. “We will make... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3361678/hun-manet-vows-make-cambodia-not-worth-staying-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3361678/hun-manet-vows-make-cambodia-not-worth-staying-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 03:37:54 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Almost two years after six travellers died and one survivor was left blind from suspected methanol-tainted drinks in Laos, the criminal case is finally moving forward, with charges filed against a distillery owner – as victims’ families continue to demand answers and stern punishment. The distillery owner, whose products are thought to have caused the deaths, was charged last Friday with running an illegal business and selling harmful food products. He faces a jail term of three months to four... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3361639/laos-methanol-poisoning-case-begins-victims-families-friends-slam-cover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3361639/laos-methanol-poisoning-case-begins-victims-families-friends-slam-cover?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 01:30:19 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow At the remote, mountainous frontier where the mighty Mekong carves the border between Myanmar and Laos, planners have sketched the outline of a mega dam. It would be the largest hydropower project ever built on the river’s mainstream outside China, but analysts suspect the study into it may matter more than the dam itself. A 34-month joint feasibility study for the 2,790-megawatt project was agreed on July 4 during Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s state visit to Vientiane. Officials from both... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3361456/myanmar-and-laos-plan-downstream-mekongs-biggest-dam-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3361456/myanmar-and-laos-plan-downstream-mekongs-biggest-dam-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:40:33 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to join a new China-led artificial intelligence body has raised questions about how far Jakarta can push its digital ambitions without complicating its ties with Washington. For Indonesia, membership in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico) offers a route to training, infrastructure and a bigger role in global AI governance as it seeks to boost technological development. But analysts said the move could also be seen as a political manoeuvre that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361356/will-indonesias-decision-join-china-led-ai-body-complicate-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361356/will-indonesias-decision-join-china-led-ai-body-complicate-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:41:55 +0000 Meg Rithmire Meg Rithmire Southeast Asia has been thrust into the crosshairs of geopolitical competition these past few tumultuous years, necessitating choices about how to handle the movement of economic activity emanating from China. This movement is not entirely new. Roughly a decade after China’s accession to the World Trade Organization solidified its status as the “world’s factory”, wages in the country began rising – a natural consequence of improving living standards and greater competition for increasingly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3360984/southeast-asia-must-write-its-own-trade-rules-chinas-flying-geese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3360984/southeast-asia-must-write-its-own-trade-rules-chinas-flying-geese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The global race for artificial intelligence has transformed into a direct contest of governance, with the United States and China actively exporting rival models of technology, funding and regulation to the rest of the world. In the West African state of Burkina Faso, dozens of young people gather at a training centre in the capital, Ouagadougou, to learn the basics of digital technology and AI, in a US-sponsored effort to develop local digital skills based on the American tech ecosystem. At the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360897/us-china-ai-rivalry-becomes-battle-export-competing-tech-governance-visions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3360897/us-china-ai-rivalry-becomes-battle-export-competing-tech-governance-visions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s power exports to Asean countries surged more than 40 per cent in the first half of the year, customs data showed, helping to buffer the region against volatility in energy markets triggered by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The increase also highlighted China’s growing role as a regional energy supplier at a time when geopolitical tensions have renewed concerns over energy security. China exported 2.39 billion kilowatt-hours of power to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3360517/chinas-power-exports-asean-surge-40-first-half-2026-amid-hormuz-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3360517/chinas-power-exports-asean-surge-40-first-half-2026-amid-hormuz-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s narrowbody C919 model is still on Malaysia Airlines’ radar, but Western certification remains the “preferred milestone” before consideration, according to a top executive, who added opportunities could present themselves in 2035 or beyond. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Bryan Foong, chief executive officer of airline business at Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), expressed optimism that the C919, assembled by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), would... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3360130/chinas-c919-still-malaysia-airlines-radar-western-certification-preferred?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3360130/chinas-c919-still-malaysia-airlines-radar-western-certification-preferred?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones As the car bounces along a rural Thai road, a baby just a few months old watches the emerald green countryside rush by from Nicha’s* lap, oblivious to the countdown that has already begun. Soon the child will be handed over to her father to be raised in China by grandparents whose own hopes of a larger family were curtailed by decades of state population control. Nicha may never see the baby she gave birth to again, but she knows that is the painful price of commercial surrogacy. This is her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3360160/wombs-hire-painful-price-asias-baby-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3360160/wombs-hire-painful-price-asias-baby-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2026 05:30:07 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Myanmar’s junta-led government is chasing nearly 2 million tourist arrivals a year in a bid analysts see as an effort to secure global legitimacy, but the dream is beset with difficulties. Authorities have been ramping up efforts to revive Myanmar’s tourism industry after the 2021 coup plunged the country into widespread civil war. More than 100,000 people have died so far in the conflict, according to the monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. Still, over 973,000 foreigners visited... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359876/myanmar-has-mountain-climb-woo-2-million-tourists-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359876/myanmar-has-mountain-climb-woo-2-million-tourists-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore and Indonesia’s latest push to trade low-carbon electricity could become more than a bilateral energy deal, with analysts saying it might offer Southeast Asia a practical test case for a regional power grid that has long struggled to move from ambition to implementation. The cooperation, centred on electricity-import deals and cross-border interconnector projects, is also expected to strengthen Singapore’s energy security and help the city state reach its sustainability goals, while... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359745/can-singapore-and-indonesias-energy-push-kick-start-regional-power-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3359745/can-singapore-and-indonesias-energy-push-kick-start-regional-power-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:20:35 +0000 Richard Heydarian Richard Heydarian “The Emiratis – by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] – they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before,” US Vice-President J.D. Vance told British media outlet UnHerd following the Iran-US negotiations in Switzerland. The Iranians “are certainly talking differently than they have in the past”, he added in a note of cautious optimism, highlighting how both Washington and its allies in the Persian Gulf are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3359040/how-bitter-persian-gulf-rivals-can-make-peace-asean-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3359040/how-bitter-persian-gulf-rivals-can-make-peace-asean-way?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Early in the morning on June 18, a message from an unknown account slipped into the TikTok inbox of a flight attendant in Bangkok with a series of questions: “Are you flying to Australia? Do you do carry-for-hire? What is your rate?” The 30-year-old, who flies ‌for a regional budget carrier, ignored the message and forgot about it – until Tuesday, when a Thai Airways flight attendant was charged with importing more than one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of heroin into Australia hidden in several tote... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3359421/drug-traffickers-using-social-media-hire-thai-airline-staff-couriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3359421/drug-traffickers-using-social-media-hire-thai-airline-staff-couriers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2026 11:03:34 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the leaders of Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Belarus in June. He also travelled to North Korea on his first overseas journey this year and his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019. In total, 20 national leaders have met Xi in Beijing this year, including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The long list shows China’s growing global influence amid rising geopolitical tensions. Xi may meet Trump three more times this year. He... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/article/3358974/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-june-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/article/3358974/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-june-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2026 03:36:42 +0000 Ambrose Li,Kolette Lim Ambrose Li,Kolette Lim Setting up a new regional chamber of commerce will “fulfil a long-felt need” to bridge the gap between the Greater Bay Area and Asean, with Hong Kong acting as a “natural connector”, the business group’s inaugural chairman has said. But given existing agreements and bilateral relations between the city and individual member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, analysts said the economic benefits introduced by the new chamber were likely to be more modest than dramatic. The Asean... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3358921/new-asean-chamber-commerce-launched-hong-kong-will-fulfil-long-felt-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3358921/new-asean-chamber-commerce-launched-hong-kong-will-fulfil-long-felt-need?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:46:17 +0000 Yuyun Wahyuningrum,Sarah Teitt Yuyun Wahyuningrum,Sarah Teitt As Asean foreign ministers prepare to meet in Manila from July 21-22, a quiet but significant shift is under way in the bloc’s approach to Myanmar. Although the Association of Southeast Asian Nations remains formally committed to the “five-point consensus”, several member states appear to be reconsidering the collective pressure strategy adopted since the 2021 coup. Rather than abandoning the consensus outright, they argue that more direct engagement with Naypyidaw may be necessary to encourage... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3358527/aseans-side-deals-myanmar-risk-missing-where-power-truly-lies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3358527/aseans-side-deals-myanmar-risk-missing-where-power-truly-lies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 03:00:13 +0000