Countries in mainland Southeast Asia have stark differences in renewable energy strategies, balancing them with ample but controversial hydropower and entrenched interests. While solar power has becom…
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China, ASEAN join hands to explore new paths for AI standardization
The 2025 ASEAN-Oriented Standardization Cooperation Forum opened in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Aug. 27, with the theme “Innovative Collaboration in AI Stand…
The ASEAN digital integration challenge
From sari-sari stores to fintech apps, the digital shift is transforming how Filipinos live and work—but are we ready for ASEAN’s bigger leap? I recently attended the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework A…
Vietnam’s AI economy potential
The Vietnam AI Economy 2025 report, released in June by the National Innovation Center (NIC), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), offered an ambit…
Philippines Working on Carbon Credit Policy for Energy Sector
The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) said it is crafting a carbon credit policy for the energy sector to ensure integrity in prospective carbon trading mechanisms and drive investment in clean en…
Johor-Singapore SEZ draws RM56 billion into Malaysia’s southern state in H1
Malaysia’s southernmost state Johor became the country’s top investment destination in the first half of 2025, with officials attributing the success to its special economic zone with neighbour Singap…
Malaysia flexes rare earth muscle as mineral-hungry US seeks non-Chinese sources
Malaysia’s ban on exports of unprocessed rare earth metals this week signals that the Southeast Asian country has a realistic shot – on its own terms – at feeding the mineral-hungry United States amid…
Indonesia aims to launch B50 biodiesel in 2026, but unlikely in January
Indonesia reaffirmed a plan to raise the mandatory palm oil content in its biodiesel to 50% starting from next year, but the programme known as B50 is unlikely to start in January, senior energy minis…
Asia must double down on regional trade liberalisation to overcome the cost of Trump’s trade chaos
US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff policies have unsettled Asian trade, pushing many countries into side deals that risk fragmenting regional integration while offering little certainty.…
Four key challenges facing Nepal’s economy
We all have a general sense of the country’s economic condition. Today, I want to speak more broadly about the economy rather than focus strictly on monetary policy. Let’s talk about the problems we’r…