US-Philippines Join Forces To Counter China The US has broadened its SEA footprint in Southeast Asia through closer ties with the Philippines On May 1 2023, US President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had a special meeting. The two leaders reiterated their “deep friendship”, presenting a united front against China. It indicates a… Continue reading US-Philippines Join Forces To Counter China
Does ASEAN Have A Drug Crisis? There is a surge in opium in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle region, even as countries such as Singapore have cracked down on drugs. Tangaraju Suppiah, a 46-year-old citizen of Singapore, was executed in the country’s Changi prison a few weeks ago for his involvement in cannabis trafficking. The death… Continue reading Does ASEAN Have A Drug Crisis?
Road to Renewables: SEA Needs a Fast Track Approach Investments towards coal alternatives and resilient energy sources will be vital. A whopping $29.4 trillion. This is the amount of funds needed to transform ASEAN into a region powered by 100% renewable energy. The transition to clean energy entails massive investments in new plants as well as… Continue reading Road to Renewables: SEA Needs a Fast Track Approach
Malaysia’s deft moves to strengthen Islamic finance The country has planned to build fintech hubs for Shariah-compliant finance entities. On the back of a gamut of progressive Shariah-compliant regulations, quick product approvals, and digitisation of financial services, Malaysia has become among the world’s biggest markets for Islamic Finance and the most developed country in this segment.… Continue reading Malaysia’s Deft Moves to Strengthen Islamic Finance
Switch to cloud: ASEAN takes the lead Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are expected to increase their cloud-related spending. Southeast Asia is on the cloud. Corporations are turning serverless and cloud-native as more international cloud services providers invest in ASEAN. There is an emerging need to meet the burgeoning demand for cloud technology in the region.… Continue reading Switch To Cloud: ASEAN Takes The Lead
Financial Omnibus: A new era of reforms in Indonesia The PPSK Law will increase economic capabilities and enable digitisation The COVID-19 pandemic pushed sustainable economic spending at the forefront of financial reforms. Developing nations in particular had to identify resilient financial models and reform archaic regulations. Indonesia was one such country that made swift moves… Continue reading Financial Omnibus: A New Era of Reforms in Indonesia
Decoding Southeast Asia’s E-Commerce Boom The e-commerce market in Southeast Asia has rapidly transitioned from physical retail to a multi-disciplinary shopping ecosystem spanning across channels, devices and store concepts. Evolving from the conventional brick-and-mortar format to dynamic avenues, online and offline retail businesses are redefining shopping trends, notably impacting consumer behaviour and purchase choices. Growing… Continue reading Decoding Southeast Asia’s E-Commerce Boom
Enabling SMEs to boost Vietnam’s exports Buoyed by a determined political leadership and its forward-thinking policy framework, Vietnam’s enterprises have earned the country the reputation as a leading exporter globally. Today, Vietnam is the top exporter in the ASEAN region. While its export turnover of USD282-bn in 2020 contributed 82% of the country’s GDP, the… Continue reading Enabling SMEs To Boost Vietnam’s Exports
ASEAN Start-Ups Unhurt by SVB Collapse, but Funding Winter May Get Prolonged Start-ups in the ASEAN region are largely funded by local venture capital firms, and they bank locally too. However, SVB’s collapse could affect access to capital over the long term. The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the 16th largest bank in… Continue reading ASEAN Start-Ups Unhurt by SVB Collapse, but Funding Winter May Get Prolonged
Thailand: Auto Major Turns EV Investment Magnet Thailand is known as Detroit of the East with good reason. The country’s automotive sector has a supply chain of more than 2,200 auto component suppliers catering to more than 20 vehicle manufacturers and a dozen motorcycle manufacturers, including the world’s leading Japanese, European, Chinese and American brands.… Continue reading Thailand: Auto Major Turns EV Investment Magnet
