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Indonesian workers take part in a protest during a May Day rally marking International Workers’ Day in front of the East Java Governor’s Office in Surabaya on May 1. Photo: AFP
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

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Japan

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

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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.

A motorcycle passes campaign flags of Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (blue) and Pakatan Harapan (red) coalitions displayed in Kuala Lumpur in 2022. Photo: AP
A motorcycle passes campaign flags of Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (blue) and Pakatan Harapan (red) coalitions displayed in Kuala Lumpur in 2022. Photo: AP
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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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.

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
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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A woman walks past anti-US graffiti painted on the wall of Tehran University in Iran, on April 25. The war has pushed up inflation and added to the financial burden of already highly indebted countries. Photo: AP
A woman walks past anti-US graffiti painted on the wall of Tehran University in Iran, on April 25. The war has pushed up inflation and added to the financial burden of already highly indebted countries. Photo: AP
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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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
Ageing society

Asian Angle | Asia’s silver dividend can offset ageing’s economic toll

Research shows demographic decline hits productivity, not workforce size. Keeping older workers active through technology is the solution.

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A street food hawker waits for customers by a roadside in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 12. Photo: EPA
A street food hawker waits for customers by a roadside in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 12. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

Asian Angle | What the China-US stability pact means for Southeast Asia

The real test of Beijing and Washington’s adoption of ‘constructive strategic stability’ will be how words translate into action.

China-India relations

Outside In | India and China are cautiously getting closer, thanks to Trump

The US trade war has prompted India to rethink China. While relations might be short of a breakthrough, deeper engagement is here to stay.

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Bonds

Macroscope | Bond market sell-off raises stakes for Asia’s tech-driven economies

Stakes are high for Asia’s tech-driven economies amid a global sell-off in bond markets that signals investor fears.

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A currency trader talks on the phone near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index and the foreign exchange rate between the US dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on May 20. Photo: AP
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