News
Who should be afraid of the Belt and Road? China
As a line on a map, Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link makes sense. Slashing diagonally across the peninsula from Port Klang at one end to the port of Kuantan and towns north at the other, the project looks well-situated to encourage travel and commerce, and ...
China and Japan’s power struggle is good news for Southeast Asia
The Japan-China rivalry in Southeast Asia is good for the economic development and strategic autonomy of Southeast Asian states. This is particularly so for the poorer countries of the region that harbour the greatest fears of becoming solely dependent on China. Keep reading ...
China Focus: Wider opening-up brings closer ties with Asian neighbors
A grain of jasmine rice “jumps” to a freighter in Cambodia. It, together with thousands of its companions, will arrive in China in about a week. The jasmine rice from Cambodia sells very well in Yunnan, a border province in southwestern China. As a gateway ...
Why the Mekong matters
China’s growing influence – through its new multilateral institution – is reshaping the environmental and economic future of Southeast Asia. The countries of the Mekong should build a “community of shared future”, said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in December last year. Keep reading ...
China to work with ASEAN on 'stabilizer' sea code
China said Monday it was “ready to work” with the Philippines and ASEAN towards a code of conduct in disputed waters, which will serve as a “stabilizer” in the region. Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN earlier this year agreed to ...
China plans to deepen EEC focus
CHINA plans to further invest in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the country’s agricultural technology as part of its effort to support the Thailand 4.0 policy while furthering its own One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. China is committed to facilitating a strong partnership ...
Japan offers ‘quality’ alternative to China’s BRI
When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted five Southeast Asian leaders for discussions in Tokyo last week, he also had China on his mind. Dubbed the Mekong-Japan Summit, the meeting was the tenth to bring together national leaders from Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam ...
China's Trade War Pain Can Be ASEAN's Gain
The current trade war between the United States and China is causing considerable stress to businesses in the line of fire. Even after the US midterm elections next month, the tension will not go away. []As the world adjusts to a shifting geopolitical landscape, the greatest ...
China offers $7.2-billion fund to support projects in Asean, other nations
China’s Belt and Road Initiative will release 10 billion renminbi or $1.5 billion next month to finance development projects in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the Philippines.The amount is a part of the initial 50 billion renminbi or about $7.2 billion in funding ...
China Solidifies Its Influence in Southeast Asia
China has always wielded significant influence in Southeast Asia. Lately, though, as the West turns its attention elsewhere, Beijing has been seeking to solidify its economic and political clout in the region. []But in no other region is China’s influence as pronounced as in the countries ...
