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Asia Opinion

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My Take
Macroscope
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Why Hongkongers should be very interested in the Pinglu Canal

China-Asean trade is expected to surge as the Pinglu Canal synergises with the Hainan free-trade zone – creating demand for services Hong Kong can provide.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | As the Quad loses its anchor, China has a chance to act

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Why Hong Kong and Kazakhstan are drawing closer

India

Opinion | As Asia’s strategic landscape evolves, what is the Quad’s purpose?

Countries like India can’t afford to let ties with China be defined by a grouping focused on reacting to one power and lacking a broader positive vision.

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Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attend a joint press conference following the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on May 26. Photo: Reuters
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attend a joint press conference following the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on May 26. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Opinion | Indonesia’s labour movement is deeply divided over political patronage

Rival rallies reveal a fundamental clash between a co-opted union elite and an independent grass-roots movement.

China-India relations

Opinion | Thaw in China-India ties is real, but don’t call it reconciliation

Beijing and New Delhi are slowly rebuilding relations, but deep-seated mistrust and geopolitical rivalry will constrain rapprochement.

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Japan

Macroscope | The problem with Japan’s bid to strengthen energy security, supply chains

By competing rather than dovetailing with the Belt and Road Initiative, the joint project with the World Bank reflects increasing regional fragmentation.

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World Bank president Ajay Banga and Japanese finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in Tokyo on June 1. Photo: Kyodo
World Bank president Ajay Banga and Japanese finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in Tokyo on June 1. Photo: Kyodo
Malaysia

Opinion | Can Malaysia’s unity government survive a state poll fight?

Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional might find it easier to compete locally and maintain a lukewarm federal alliance.

US-China relations

Opinion | What does a ‘strong, quiet, clear’ US mean for China and Asia?

The US defence secretary’s speech at an annual defence forum had fewer China attacks, no mention of Taiwan and a nebulous vow to be ‘strong, quiet, clear’.

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Diplomacy

As I see it | Trump is turning allies and partners into friends of China

Dealing with Beijing offers countries such as Canada and India more leverage with the US in addition to economic benefits.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney after signing various memorandums of understanding in New Delhi, India, on March 2. Photo: AP
South Korea

Macroscope | How the AI chip boom made South Korea a victim of its own success

While tech giants are driving South Korea’s stock market higher, the country’s currency is struggling and foreign investors are pulling out.

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Currency dealers celebrate in front of a screen showing South Korea’s benchmark stock index during a ceremony celebrating it breaking 7,000 points at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on May 6. Photo: AFP
Currency dealers celebrate in front of a screen showing South Korea’s benchmark stock index during a ceremony celebrating it breaking 7,000 points at the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on May 6. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

Opinion | Asia has to learn the lessons of war while it still can

The time to learn is before the fire reaches the house. Every war forces us to ask: if this logic came to our region, what would we do?

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Diplomacy

Opinion | What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North Korea

South Korea needs to restore communication channels, end the policy see-saw and ensure official rhetoric is consistent with policy objectives.

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China food security

Opinion | How Asian food security is shifting away from the West

The platform offers a future where Asian nations are less dependent on maritime chokepoints and Western-aligned supply chains.

Kazakh Agriculture Vice-Minister Yermek Kenzhekhanuly (left) and Liu Huanxin, head of China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, pose at the signing for the creation of a grain-trading platform, in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 21. Photo: Handout
Space

Opinion | US-China rivalry is making Asia’s space economy more confrontational

Outer space is growing beyond a scientific frontier to become a forum for contests over sovereignty and economic security.

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A rocket carrying China’s Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship launches from a satellite launch centre in Gansu province on May 24. Photo: Kyodo
A rocket carrying China’s Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship launches from a satellite launch centre in Gansu province on May 24. Photo: Kyodo
Asean

Opinion | Will the US’ Pax Silica deliver for the Philippines?

The Pax Silica plan to make the Philippines a vital node in a US-led tech supply chain is built on seemingly speculative promises and risks riling China.

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Asean

Asian Angle | Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel

While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.

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Ageing society

Opinion | East Asia’s population challenge isn’t just about raising birth rates

Sustainable policies must strengthen people’s well-being and expand opportunities, creating a society where everyone can thrive.

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A woman and child rest on some steps in Tsim Sha Tsui on January 13. Photo: Jelly Tse
A woman and child rest on some steps in Tsim Sha Tsui on January 13. Photo: Jelly Tse
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Why bond yields are going up everywhere

Unlike stock markets, bond markets are signalling a more cognisant and mature appreciation of the state of government finances.

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Malaysia

Asian Angle | Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat

Conflating local governance concerns with racial and religious slights threatens pluralism and stifles legitimate public policy debate.

Asean

Opinion | Why the Philippines walks a delicate balance as Asean chair

Manila’s success at the helm will depend on its ability to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more operational than before.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Middle East

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

In Gulf economies, lost migrant jobs and remittances risk plunging millions across Asia into crisis.

Workers take a break with the city skyline of Dubai seen in the background on March 11. Photo: AFP
Workers take a break with the city skyline of Dubai seen in the background on March 11. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | Heroics will only turn middle power dreams into nightmares

Successful middle powers do not defy systemic pressures but recognise structural change early enough to avoid becoming trapped.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | The 4 trilateral frameworks defining northeast Asia future

As great-power bargaining between the US, China and Russia collides with three regional triangles, finding a balance will be key to managing competition.

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Asia housing and property

The View | The 2 main sources of resilience in Asian real estate

The shock absorbers of supply constraints, a flight to quality, the search for safe havens and domestic demand provide a robust base.

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A tram travels past premium office buildings in Central, Hong Kong, on January 26. Photo: Jelly Tse
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