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This Week in Asia /

Economics

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Banking & finance
Stocks
A financial data screen in the dealing room of Hana Bank shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index having lost 3.08 per cent from the previous session to an intraday low of 6,392.44 in early trading in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
South Korea

South Korea tightens grip on high-risk ETFs as investor losses mount

Regulators are eyeing curbs such as reducing the leverage ratio of single-stock ETFs and raising the minimum investment requirement.

Asean

What Turkey’s upgrade to Asean dialogue partner status means

Cambodia

Cambodian jobseekers fear debt trap over Thailand’s border reinforcement

Pakistan

Pakistan, Bangladesh face economic squeeze as US-Iran crisis widens

Another energy-price shock could mean renewed pressure on their currencies, subsidies and public finances.

A worker refuels a vehicle at a petrol station in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday, amid rising fuel prices. Photo: EPA
A worker refuels a vehicle at a petrol station in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday, amid rising fuel prices. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

Happy buyers, sad sellers: Malaysia’s trade dilemma as cheap goods pour in

Investment authority chairman Tengku Zafrul Aziz says Putrajaya has to strike a balance between an open economy and helping local firms.

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US-Asean relations

Inside America’s US$1.5 billion play for Southeast Asian energy

Gas exports and mini reactors serve US interests as much as Asia’s – provided promised projects actually lead anywhere.

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Indonesia

Limited dual citizenship gives Indonesian diaspora hope of return, better future

The plan targeting the diaspora holding important skills comes as thousands of Indonesians have renounced their citizenship in recent years.

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A passenger jet lands at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport during sunset in Badung, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: AP
A passenger jet lands at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport during sunset in Badung, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: AP
South Korea

How South Korea can ease Brazilian concerns to unlock trade in South America

Money and technology transfer are the keys to opening the door to free trade with Mercosur members, according to analysts.

Singapore

Singapore signals housing market stability by scrapping public housing wait

Private home owners can now buy public resale flats without delay, aimed at boosting a sluggish market after months of slow growth.

Malaysia

‘Take sides’? Malaysia insists on conditional neutrality in US-China tech ties

To keep US chips and Chinese capital flowing, Malaysia is working overtime to reassure both Washington and Beijing.

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Tengku Zafrul Aziz, senior political adviser to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaks to SCMP at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali, Indonesia, earlier this month. Photo: Nora Tam
Artificial intelligence

AI competition heats up as US targets Southeast Asia’s public sector

Washington’s launch of AI Spark is seen as a move to counter Chinese AI models that have made inroads in Southeast Asia, analysts say.

An illustration of the US and Chinese AI ecosystems. Photo: Shutterstock
An illustration of the US and Chinese AI ecosystems. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Indonesian central banker’s exit signals dilemma over rate policy, growth target

Concerns over the independence of central banks in Indonesia and beyond have grown after Perry Warjiyo’s resignation.

India

Washington offers India a tariff olive branch – for now

New Delhi avoided a higher tariff rate via a timely policy change, but US demands and Russian oil friction leave a trade deal in limbo.

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Malaysia

How a displaced F1 race could be Malaysia’s ‘blessing in disguise’

The one-off race in Sepang could deliver an economic boost and position Malaysia as a stable regional base for global events, analysts say.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen drives during the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang on October 1, 2017. Sepang will host this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix in October. Photo: AFP
Cambodia

Cambodia’s tourism slump leaves Angkor Wat eerily quiet

Tourist arrivals have collapsed by nearly 50 per cent this year, forcing local operators to rethink Cambodia’s entire pitch.

Restoration work is seen on a balustrade at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on July 20. Photo: ANA/Xinhua
Restoration work is seen on a balustrade at the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on July 20. Photo: ANA/Xinhua
The Philippines

Philippines’ Marcos offers relief, but no clear way to pay, in national address

He vowed tax cuts, cheaper rice and corruption cases against “big fish”, but critics questioned how his government would fund the pledges.

Malaysia

Why Malaysia’s 10% US tariff advantage may be short lived

Malaysia’s lower rate hinges on promised forced-labour reforms, even as an overcapacity investigation threatens higher levies.

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Indonesia

Why Indonesia needs legal trust, not tax cuts, to build a finance hub

From Singapore to Dubai, global capital favours predictable courts over tax breaks. Experts say Jakarta should take note.

A woman walks past Singapore’s financial business district on May 19. Photo: AFP
A woman walks past Singapore’s financial business district on May 19. Photo: AFP
Asean

Why new US tariffs threaten Trump government’s credibility in Asean

The additional duties come just a day after Marco Rubio tells Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the US is ‘with Asean 100 per cent’.

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s plan for a rival to Singapore starts to take shape

A new law lays the legal groundwork, but economists warn governance will decide the financial centre’s fate.

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Indonesia

‘A matter of survival’: Indonesia’s push for a financial hub in Bali

Luhut Pandjaitan wants investors to imagine kamikaze drones over Abu Dhabi, then picture themselves in Bali instead.

Luhut Pandjaitan, chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council, at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali, Indonesia, on July 17. Photo: Nora Tam
Middle East

Smaller Asian airlines seek to add routes despite Middle East war, fuel costs

Akasa Air aims to raise its capacity while AirBorneo plans to connect more regional destinations as larger rivals face constraints to expand.

Visitors gathered near an Akasa Air aircraft at an aviation exhibition at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad in 2024. Photo: AFP
Visitors gathered near an Akasa Air aircraft at an aviation exhibition at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad in 2024. Photo: AFP
Asean

Can Southeast Asia survive more Iran war fuel shocks?

Analysts warn the region cannot fully insulate itself from an extended conflict if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.

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South Korea

South Korea rethinks Yellow Envelope Act as labour union demands mount

Without clearer boundaries, the revised act could fuel labour disputes and create uncertainty for businesses and the economy, critics warn.

The Philippines

Is it all economic doom and gloom for the Philippines?

The energy crisis and turmoil in the Senate are among factors threatening the Philippine economy’s recovery, observers warn.

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A vendor carries bottles of cooking oil to sell at a market in Quezon City, the Philippines, on July 7. Photo: EPA
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