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This Week in Asia /

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Workers stitch clothes at a garment factory in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province last year. Photo: AFP
Vietnam

Vietnam pays the price at home for sending workers abroad

Between 130,000 and 150,000 Vietnamese go abroad to work annually, leaving seafood and garment sectors scrabbling for labourers.

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Myanmar

Can war-torn Myanmar finally realise its economic potential?

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The Philippines

Beyond call centres? Philippines reopens Manila for outsourcing edge

Indonesia

Reality bites for Indonesia’s Prabowo as approval rating falls

The decline reflects a disconnect between Indonesia’s still-respectable headline growth and how voters experience the economy, analysts say.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AFP
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: AFP
Japan

US-Japan trade thaw driven by shared yen for stronger currency

How long this boost in relations will last, though, depends on whether the yen can hold its value, experts say.

Malaysia

Malaysia faces EV speed bumps with planned levy amid stalled investments

Observers warn Malaysia’s appeal as a manufacturing base could weaken amid regional competition for EV investment.

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Indonesia

Are Indonesia’s Prabowo and ultra rich ‘9 Dragons’ on a collision course?

Analysts say the pressure on Indonesia’s older business elite forms part of a broader two-pronged strategy of state capitalism.

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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: Reuters
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

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls the development ‘of utmost importance’ in its relationship with Asia-Pacific countries.

Cambodia

Cambodian jobseekers fear debt trap over Thailand’s border reinforcement

While Cambodia is becoming less reliant on Thai imports, its people in the western provinces are feeling the brunt of the border row.

A Thai soldier stands guard while workers in the Pong Nam Ron district of Chanthaburi erect a section of the border fence between Thailand and Cambodia. Photo: SOPA Images
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.

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
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.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) greets South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ahead of their meeting at the presidential office in Brasilia on Monday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) greets South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ahead of their meeting at the presidential office in Brasilia on Monday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
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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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
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