News
Southeast Asia tends to defenses in South China Sea
With Vietnam welcoming foreign warships to a key port and the Philippines building on a disputed island, Southeast Asian nations are working to reinforce their South China Sea claims in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.Japan’s Izumo helicopter carrier — one of the country’s ...
Hungary to initiate major credit aid for Laos
Laos is expected to receive the biggest ever fixed aid credit programme worth US$160 million from Hungary to develop a food safety system, water management and information technology. The information was revealed during Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith and his delegation’s official visit ...
Interior Ministry mulling investigations into NGOs' "neutrality"
Human rights NGOs Licadho and Adhoc were among a group of organisations who were warned by the Ministry of Interior today that they are being scrutinised for allegedly violating their neutrality by supporting the opposition CNRP. News of the inquiry was first disclosed by government-aligned ...
Governor halts work on coal railway being built without permits in Indonesian Borneo
After coming under public scrutiny, Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran halted the construction of a railroad being built to transport coal through forested areas of the province. The governor’s decision followed a May 21 report by Mongabay’s Indonesian sister site, which documented that the developers ...
China, India and the global auto industry's transformation
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s acquisition of a 49.9% stake in Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings from DRB-Hicom is unlikely to trigger an immediate change in the Southeast Asian market overall. Japanese automakers, particularly Toyota Motor, hold overwhelming shares in the region. South Korean automakers have been ...
ASEAN exports and consumption are up, but for how long?
One weekend in late May, car dealerships in Singapore’s Queenstown were packed with families and middle-aged couples hunting for new cars. Brochures in hand, a 50-year-old businessman had been visiting showrooms of upscale brands such as BMW and Volvo, looking for a second auto. Singapore ...
Energy-drink ad exposes uncomfortable truth in Thai society
A TV commercial for an energy drink has become a social phenomenon in Thailand as it depicts the privileged elite being humbled, to the delight of the majority here. In the commercial for Lipovitan D, a drink from drugmaker Osotspa Taisho, a wealthy young woman ...
Thailand's PMI falls to 49.7 in May
The Nikkei Thailand Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell marginally to 49.7 in May from 49.8 in April. A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion, while one below 50 points toward contraction. May’s data marked the second consecutive month of contraction. “Latest survey data ...
GE signs $5.58bn in power, aviation deals in Vietnam
General Electric Co said on May 31 it had signed deals in Vietnam worth about $5.58 billion for power generation, aircraft engines and services, its largest single combined sale with the country in GE’s history. The agreements came as Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was on a ...
Trump hails signing of deals worth 'billions' with Vietnam
U.S. President Donald Trump discussed trade with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a White House visit on May 31 and welcomed the signing of business deals worth billions of dollars and the jobs they would bring. General Electric Co said earlier it had signed ...
