Asia
Why North Korea – and Vietnam – can benefit from the Hanoi Summit
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to begin two days of talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, in what will be their second meeting within eight months. While…
The gloom about Myanmar’s economy
Talking to business owners across a variety of sectors in Yangon in January this year, the mood was universally glum.
Big-spending Western tourists were staying away in droves,…
Trump-Kim summit II: North Korea’s superficial modernisation
Before the Singapore summit, President Donald Trump took to Twitter with a message:
Our United States team has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the…
Pakistan: the wrongheaded crowdfund for mega dams
In June last year, the top judge in Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar, was hearing a case about the need to build new dams in Pakistan. During the proceedings, he remarked that…
Indonesia: policy missing in talk of politics
Indonesia’s second presidential debate might be a source of amusement for many Indonesian voters, thanks to the colourful exchange between the incumbent Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and…
Pulwama terrorist attack: Modi under pressure
The Pulwama attack was clearly calibrated to pile pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run-up to the general election to be held in April and May 2019. The…
The tremendous impact of a US-China investment and technology war
This is an edited extract of the opening speech delivered in Sydney this month to the Chief Economists Forum, held annually by the Financial Standard.
There are three main…
China cabinet: the not-so-secret hack, plus the enemy of Freeman
Hack attack
In a framework of ideological contest between democracies and authoritarian states, democracies should work with their strengths. It’s true the disheartening…
Courting change in Malaysia
Malaysia’s political upheaval looks likely to drag on for years. A three judge panel has granted former prime minister Najib Razak a last minute stay in a corruption trial, which…
Demystifying Kashmir
A suicide attack on the Indian forces in Pulwama, Kashmir that killed more than 40 security officials has set India and Pakistan – two nuclear powers – on a warpath. India has…