Manufacturing investment in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) is booming. Asean has become a key target region for multinationals and vitally important in an era of global power comp…
Economy
Why India’s Global South ambitions must turn to Southeast Asia
India was ranked ninth out of the most relevant dialogue partners for ASEAN in the latest edition of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute State of Southeast Asia survey report, released this month. This re…
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam Want Asian ‘Schengen Zone’
Thailand is apparently contemplating suggesting the establishment of a Schengen-like area in Southeast Asia with the aim of enticing a greater number of affluent tourists to the region. Unlike the Eur…
Cambodia’s Economic Growth to Accelerate in 2024, Fueled by Manufacturing and Tourism
Cambodia’s economy is forecast to grow at 5.8% in 2024 and 6.0% in 2025, fueled by a further rebound in tourism and strong manufacturing prospects, according to the latest edition of the Asian Develop…
This cab startup helped 100,000 drivers survive Sri Lanka’s economic crisis
It was early 2023 when Jayarathne realized that his grocery shop in Galle, a windswept beach town about two hours south of Colombo, was not profitable. As the sole breadwinner in his family, with two …
Crisis-hit Sri Lankan economy rebounds as tourists return
Sri Lanka’s economy rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2023 from the island nation’s unprecedented financial crisis as tourism arrivals rose, the government said Saturday. Agriculture, indust…
Observers: US Investments in Philippines Seen Easing Reliance on China
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…
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 …