Economy and commerce
Trade war: Focus turns to Thailand to conclude $7 trln RCEP
Six years in the making, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is slated to transform the region into an Asean-centric, comprehensive free trade area, poised to make a large contribution to Asian and global economic cooperation. The RCEP may well become the second major Asia-led trade ...
Cambodia eases pressure on opposition, media after EU sanctions threat
Cambodia’s parliament is reviewing a five-year ban on more than 100 members of the main opposition party, which could allow them to return to politics, following threats by the European Union to deny duty-free trading access to the Southeast Asian nation. Keep reading ...
Trade Department pushes 12 priorities for Asean chair
Twelve economic issues, including the conclusion of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, have been proposed for consideration as Thailand readies itself to assume Asean’s chairmanship. Keep reading ...
The world, built by China
China envisions a vast global network of trade, investment and infrastructure that will reshape financial and geopolitical ties — and bring the rest of the world closer to Beijing. In data story it outlines the geographic scope of China’s ambitious investments across the world. Read more. ...
Myanmar gets more foreign investment than any other poor nation
Myanmar attracted the most foreign direct investment of any of the world’s so-called “least developed countries” in 2017, even as the nation’s reputation plummeted over its forced expulsion of tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. The $4.3 billion worth of realized FDI that went into ...
Southeast Asian free trade deal pushed back to 2019
Leaders of Southeast Asian nations have again pushed back an agreement on a pan-Asian free trade deal amid a whirlwind of diplomacy Wednesday at their annual summit. In convening talks among the leaders of countries participating in the plan, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ...
China Pushes Free-Trade Zone in Mekong Region with Thailand, Laos
As the trade war with the U.S. intensifies, China is looking to strengthen commercial ties with countries in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia by setting up a free-trade zone on the border between Thailand and Laos. In the planned zone, Beijing will waive tariffs ...
Ten ASEAN Nations On Track For 5.2% Overall Growth Rate This Year - IMF Report
The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are achieving overall booming growth rates of 5.2 percent this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report on Thursday. “The member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continue to ...
Myanmar Fails to Advance in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business List
Myanmar showed no improvement in its overall ranking in the World Bank’s latest ease of doing business index, retaining the No. 171 spot it held last year—and remaining the least favorable ASEAN member country in which to conduct business. Keep reading ...
Thailand bets on neighbors' rising incomes to lift exports
Thailand is working to increase trade with its neighbors, betting that their rising purchasing power will cushion the blow from exports lost to the U.S.-China trade war. Keep reading ...
