TOPIC

Infrastructure in Asia

Infrastructure in Asia
The politics and economics behind Asia's big-ticket infrastructure projects.
Containers and cranes at the international Port of Manila on April 3, The proposed railway will be extended all the way to Manila. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

US, Japan put Philippine railway project back on track

The Subic–Clark–Manila–Batangas Railway will be almost triple the length and more expensive than the initial China-backed proposal.

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Thailand

Quake-hit Bangkok tower collapse blamed on build, design failures

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Banking & finance

Exclusive | AIIB to expand global footprint with 20-member office in Hong Kong

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AIIB

China’s AIIB to double financing with help from private sector

China’s World Bank alternative intends to raise annual financing to US$17 billion by 2030 and work more with private investors under the leadership of incoming President Zou Jiayi.

Photo: Xinhua
China manufacturing

China urging private firms to invest more in cross-border infrastructure

Finance minister, speaking at Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank meeting, says more mobilisation of private capital could help overcome bottleneck of insufficient public investment for infrastructure.

Banking & finance

China’s Zou Jiayi, a former finance official, elected AIIB president

Former vice-minister of finance will begin her term in January, as the development bank faces a challenging environment for multilateralism.

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Banking & finance

Open Questions | Veteran banker Jin Liqun on leading AIIB during its formative first 10 years

With his tenure as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank president drawing to a close, the financier surveys the landscape for multilateral development.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Connectivity, economic integration can ease tariff pressures, says AIIB’s Jin

As Jin Liqun’s decade-long tenure as Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank president draws to a close, the finance veteran surveys the landscape for multilateral development.

Vietnam

The US$67 billion question: who will fund Vietnam’s North-South express railway?

Vingroup and Thaco’s proposals to build the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City high-speed rail line both demand substantial state support.

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Indonesia

Will Indonesia’s Whoosh extension to Surabaya be derailed by Chinese debt?

With the current US$7.3 billion rail line not projected to break even for 40 years, analysts are urging caution on an extension.

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A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station on the Jakarta-Bandung “Whoosh” railway line in Indonesia on May 20. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

Philippines confirms US funding for railway project amid foreign aid freeze

Move indicates Washington’s intent to deepen economic cooperation and is ‘good signalling’ for bilateral ties, analysts say.

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A truck arrives at a container terminal in Navotas, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway is expected to connect major ports and airports in the country. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Tragedy on Philippine roads stirs grief, outrage – and calls for reform

From unlicensed drivers to substandard infrastructure, the deadly aftermath of recent crashes is forcing a reckoning on Philippine roads.

Thailand

Bangkok to trial disaster alerts after Myanmar quake criticism

The system will use three mobile networks to send warning messages in Thai and English, accompanied by a siren.

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Thailand

Thai-Chinese firm denies safety breach at probe of Bangkok skyscraper collapse

Xin Ke Yuan Steel is being scrutinised for the quality of steel rods in a high-rise that collapsed during last month’s Bangkok earthquake, the only building to fail that day.

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A collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand after A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. Photo: Xinhua
Thailand

Chinese executive linked to Bangkok tower collapse arrested

The 30-storey tower was reduced to rubble when a quake struck neighbouring Myanmar last month, killing 47 people and leaving 47 missing.

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Rescue workers conduct a search operation for survivors at the site of the collapsed tower on 29 March. Photo: EPA-EFE
Diplomacy

Opinion | How China can help Bangladesh escape India’s foreign policy grip

The 15 years of Hasina government saw Bangladesh draw closer to India but for the next stage of greater regional integration, it needs China.

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Malaysia

Beyond the sea: Malaysia’s rail port project targets a trade corridor shake-up

Perlis Inland Port aims to offer Southeast Asia a viable land-based trade alternative to the instability of current shipping routes.

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Thailand

Thais outraged by expensive furniture for now-collapsed Bangkok tower

Corruption watchdog page reveals list of items including sofas costing nearly US$5,000 and 28 rosewood armchairs for State Audit Office building.

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Rescuers search for survivors on Friday at the site of the collapsed State Audit Office tower building in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE
Thailand

Massive Myanmar earthquake reveals cracks in Bangkok’s ‘tofu buildings’

The Chinese embassy in Bangkok has called for full cooperation with the Thai authorities’ investigation into the State Audit Office collapse.

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China trade

Lao Airlines cruising to first C909 – a milestone for the made-in-China aircraft

China’s aircraft manufacturer continues spreading its wings abroad with fresh deals to supply passenger jets to Asian neighbours.

South Korea

Video | Giant sinkhole in Seoul kills motorcyclist

The body of the motorcyclist was found 17 hours after his vehicle was swallowed by the sinkhole in the eastern part of the capital, Seoul

Twenty-metre-deep sinkhole in South Korea kills motorcyclist
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China trade

China lays track for stronger regional relations through railway lines

China’s neighbours in Southeast and Central Asia have begun construction or made agreements on cross-border railway projects, bolstering bilateral ties.

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Railway projects between China and its Asian neighbours indicate a greater willingness for deeper bilateral ties and overall connectivity. Photo: AFP
Two Sessions 2025

‘Two sessions’ 2025: how can China get its private sector back on track?

China will need stronger action to ensure a level playing field – as the struggles of its first privately owned high-speed railways show.

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Vietnam

Vietnam’s US$8 billion railway to China gets the go ahead

It is one of two railway lines to China that Vietnam plans as part of its ‘Two Corridors, One Belt’ initiative.

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India

Should India be worried about Sri Lanka and China’s growing cooperation?

The new deals ‘signal a deepening of China’s influence in Sri Lanka’ and revive concerns of a debt trap, analysts say.

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The Hambantota International Port in Sri Lanka. Photo: Hambantota International Port/Handout via Xinhua
Malaysia

My Take | Can Johor-Singapore SEZ be a flag-bearer for Southeast Asia’s economic clout?

The SEZ aims to tap new growth areas alongside priority industries to make it the region of choice for businesses, but challenges remain.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong walks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim with the background of Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Rising ‘United States of Eurasia’ will need a development bank to support it

From Eurasia’s vast potential to growing new development banks, emerging market economies are carrying more weight in a global economy.

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China economy

Opinion | China’s Dalian airport will be more than an infrastructure marvel

This would-be world’s biggest offshore airport marries China’s aim to revitalise its northeastern belt with its ambition to bolster its global influence in aviation, trade and logistics.

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