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

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

US-China relations

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

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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
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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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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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung salutes the national flag at the first plenary meeting of the National Economic Advisory Council, at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on April 9. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung salutes the national flag at the first plenary meeting of the National Economic Advisory Council, at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on April 9. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
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.

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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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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US President Donald Trump meets Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in the Oval Office at the White House on July 22, 2025, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
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.

People at the Merlion statue in Singapore. The city state has emerged top among Southeast Asians who chose an Asean member as their preferred relocation destination, according to a survey. Photo: AFP
People at the Merlion statue in Singapore. The city state has emerged top among Southeast Asians who chose an Asean member as their preferred relocation destination, according to a survey. Photo: AFP
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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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.

Thousands of protesters rally near a mosque in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the Malaysian government’s withdrawal of plans to ratify a UN anti-discrimination convention in 2018. Photo: AP
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
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.

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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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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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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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.

US President Donald Trump (left) shakes hand with China’s Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Reuters
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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Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, centre, attends the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on May 14. Photo: AFP
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, centre, attends the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on May 14. Photo: AFP
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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War and conflict

Opinion | Malacca Strait could be the next hinge point if Asia isn’t careful

Straits like Hormuz and Malacca are pressure points where commerce and power converge. What once defined success now defines vulnerability.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Japan no longer Asia’s only rental housing market attracting investors

While Japan remains the most developed market, property investors are finding new opportunities elsewhere in the region.

Tokyo Skytree is pictured between residential buildings on February 20, 2025. Photo: AFP
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