The 2019 protests in Hong Kong have proven longer and even more divisive than the city's last brush with civil disobedience, the Umbrella Movement protests five years ago. In 2014, Hong Kong's economy was barely affected by the demonstrations, despite widespread predictions of doom. Trade,...
ASEAN faces a long-standing challenge with the lack of good quality, adequate infrastructure. Governments need to meet the demand for infrastructure brought about by population growth and urbanisation, yet the rate of public sector financing for infrastructure development is unsustainable. Government financing accounts for 90...
By Nicholas Fang For TODAY The recent renewal of a defence agreement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and United States President Donald Trump in New York has a number of ramifications. To be sure, the extension of the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States’ Use...
China’s economy is continuing to slow, with growth dropping to 6.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2019, the lowest in 27 years. We held a talk on 24 September 2019 with Dr Chen Gang, Assistant Director and Senior Research Fellow of the East Asian...
Resource Sector Agroforestry companies linked to forest fires causing haze (24 Sep) As forest fires rage on in Indonesia, connection with Singapore and Malaysia have surfaced. Three Indonesian firms with offices in Singapore have been linked to the haze-belching fires. One company, Hutan Ketapang Industri, sealed off...
Indonesia Severe Haze Disrupts Activities Across Sumatra and Kalimantan (12 Sep - Ongoing) The aviation, shipping and education sectors in the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan have been affected as a severe haze blankets the region. Singapore and Malaysia have also been badly affected by the haze,...
China's economy is slowing. While the slowdown has been influenced by the trade war, there are other drivers at work - including modest consumer spending and industrial productivity, as well as efforts to rein in debt. Currently, China's full-year growth forecast stands at 6% to...
Resource Sector Indonesia forest fires surge and Singapore's air quality may enter 'unhealthy' range (12 Sept) The number of blazes in Indonesia's rainforests has jumped sharply, satellite data showed on Thursday (Sept 12), spreading haze across South-east Asia. Indonesia's forest fires are an annual problem but have...
Indonesia Proposed Changes to Criminal Code and KPK Spur Concerns (28 Aug – 11 Sep) National legislators in Indonesia are expected to vote on a new penal code on 24 September, replacing the current code inherited from its Dutch colonial rulers. If the law is approved, it...
September 2019 | On a recent trip to Hanoi, I met with one of the major state-owned banks, private sector economists and some Vietnamese businesses, as well as officials from their government. Many are optimistic and have been investing in Vietnam, and for good reason. However,...