Global Economy
Pakistan’s gamble with Russian oil
News of the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan has roiled Pakistan in the past day, which is the latest development in a long-winding saga. Much of the instability in the…
Malaysia’s Anwar seeks Asian Monetary Fund and “dedollarisation”
The Asian Monetary Fund was an idea that Japan first proposed in 1997 following the Asian financial crisis. At the time, Anwar Ibrahim, a rising star in Malaysian politics, firmly…
Biden’s quiet economic revolution
Senior figures of the Biden administration have given two critical speeches on US economic policy. First, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last month set out the parameters of US…
“Play defence” in any collective response to China’s economic coercion
Many Western governments consider Beijing’s frequent use of economic sanctions a “clear and present danger” to the global economy which erodes the rules-based order. Canberra…
International debt: Time for a global restructuring framework
Just about every country has rules and practices to sort out domestic bankruptcies, dividing up the surviving assets between the creditors on an equitable basis, writing off the…
Choosing openness in the international economy
The Covid pandemic was good for isolationists and xenophobes, and bad for globalisers and internationalists. Yet since the agricultural revolution, one of the keys to prosperity…
What price will Laos need to pay to be saved, and will China pay it?
Laos offers a fascinating case study about China’s approach to debt. How much will Beijing be willing to concede on the debt owed by a friend and fellow communist country?
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Managing Japan-Australia energy tensions in a time of transition
Yamagami Shingo, who until last week served as Japan’s ambassador to Australia, again voiced criticism of Australia’s energy policy just before leaving his post. The Japanese…
Finding opportunity in Asia’s net-zero transition
The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing a surge in climate action, with nearly all countries in the region committing to achieving net-zero emissions, albeit with varying timeframes…
Economic diplomacy: Friends, rivals and diplomatic gaslighting
Hitting the gas
Japan’s ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami made himself an unexpectedly public figure in the reserved Canberra diplomatic corps with his witty social media…