Southeast Asian economies face kinder but ever-challenging times ahead in their quest to retain their title as global growth leaders. There’s a Chinese proverb that says “The higher you grow, the deeper you bow.” In this case, to sustain the momentum, countries in the subregion have to weather elevated inflation (particularly for food), high interest rates, and weak external demand...

All eyes are on the Thai economy as it struggles to restore a robust growth momentum after the pandemic. Thailand’s 2023 performance is below its average expansion of 3.64 per cent between 2010-2019 and is far from returning to the above 7 per cent growth trend seen in the previous decade, with record-high interest rates and elevated household debt restricting...

The Indonesian government is dangling an elite visa status to foreign investors and prominent business leaders to make the Southeast Asian nation their second home. President Joko Widodo is luring greater foreign direct investments (FDI) by letting high net worth individuals enjoy seamless trips to and from the country for as much as 10 years, but only if they invest...

In July 2023, the Malaysian government drafted its “Ekonomi Madani” reforms that would hopefully restore the country’s high economic growth momentum. Earlier in 2022, Malaysia was declared one of the top developing countries in Southeast Asia for foreign investment due to three factors: robust economic performance, highly qualified workforce, and strong integration with the global economy. Looking back at the health...

The yearly National People’s Congress (NPC) in China took place from the 4th to 11th of March. It is not a forum where new politics or economic initiatives are discussed from the speaker’s desk with around 3,000 delegates. The interesting part is the communication from the political leadership on where they want to take the country and how to do...

When China’s 2023 GDP growth rate was published in January, it met expectations of a 5.2 per cent growth. Under normal market conditions, the economic data should not have caused the big market gyrations. However, investors were thirsty for good news of some kind, which the data did not provide. The economic data showed plain development without signs of progress...

The Philippines is wooing more private sector players to pitch in and build high-impact infrastructure projects in the next five years. A total of 197 projects cumulatively worth PHP 8.74 trillion (USD 154 billion) have been laid out for implementation, 71 of which were inherited by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from his predecessor while the rest have been introduced by...

China’s economic growth has always been in focus among investors and economists. This is currently also the case, almost more than ever, as investors in Chinese stocks are thirsty for good news that could revert the sluggish mood surrounding the stock market in China. It is evident that the political leadership has clear long-term goals for the Chinese economy and...