During a trade mission visit to Manila this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in the Philippines’ tech sector and help double the number of sem…
China’s Debt Trap Makes Nepal Decline Beijing’s ‘Global Security Initiative’
The poorly constructed Pokhara airport, which has engulfed Nepal in massive debt, illustrates the risks of importing China’s infrastructure-at-any-cost model. A year ago in my February 2023 JAPA…
Countries join hands to fight pollution from agriculture
Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, the Philippines, Uruguay and Vietnam have launched a $379 million (Sh50.9 billion) initiative to combat pollution Seven countries have joined forces in latest bid to reduc…
Shrinking global palm oil supplies bring India’s palm oil imports down; may boost prices, says SEA
The year-on-year import of vegetable oils in February 2024 is down by 13 %, whereas the overall imports of vegetable oils during the first four months of the oil year from November 2023 to February 20…
The India Factor in Sri Lanka’s Renewable Energy Sector
On March 1, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the Government of Sri Lanka, and U-Solar Clean Energy Solutions from India signed an agreement for the construction of hybrid renewable energy s…
Petronas urges EU to rethink palm oil phaseout, flags biofuel affordability
Malaysian state-owned oil company Petronas has urged EU lawmakers to adopt a more permissive stance toward palm oil-based biofuels, flagging cost advantages and concerns around a just transition for A…
Electricity exports propel Laos to trade surplus, marking record growth
Laos has recorded a significant surge in its annual trade, reaching a total value of over US$15.5 billion in 2023. The figures, released by the Lao Trade Portal, highlight a 3.5 per cent increase comp…
The parts within thewhole: UnderstandingSoutheast Asia’s economies
Southeast Asia is home to almost 700 million people and collectively amounts to the fifth-largest economy in the world. Over the past two years, it has grown between 4-5 per cent, close to the growth …
India signs trade agreement with EFTA: What is the significance of the deal?
India on Sunday (March 10) signed a trade agreement with the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an intergovernmental grouping of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The de…
PM Anwar: Sarawak to become major renewable energy hub in SE Asia
Sarawak, having established a foothold in the country’s green economy, will be the major renewable energy hub in Southeast Asia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said Sarawak is very m…