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Macroscope
Japan’s Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi speaks during an election campaign event in Tokyo on February 7. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Macroscope | Why the IMF is right to press Japan on its fiscal risks

The fiscal and monetary policies of advanced economies have global repercussions, and Takaichi’s expansionary fiscal agenda risks market pushback.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

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Trade

Outside In | Try as it might, the US alone can’t reverse the tide of globalisation

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Japan

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

Across Asia, higher education is becoming a central arena where national ambition, geopolitical constraint and human capital intersect.

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People walk through the University of Tokyo on May 27, 2025. Photo: AP
People walk through the University of Tokyo on May 27, 2025. Photo: AP
Lunar New Year

Being Chinese | The great Lunar New Year divide and how I bridged it

After sitting through the Spring Festival Gala with mainland Chinese friends, I had to introduce them to a delightful ritual from Singapore.

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Bangladesh

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

While the BNP’s margin of victory should help ensure stability, its roots in the old order could limit the speed and reach of reforms.

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South China Sea

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

China and the Philippines are both signalling openness to diplomacy alongside continued military flexing, but this may not be sustainable.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Cambodia

Opinion | Cambodia’s scam factory survivors find no escape in freedom

A government crackdown freed thousands, but with no passports or support, survivors have simply traded captivity for destitution.

Banking & finance

Macroscope | How robust domestic financial markets could ease era of AI uncertainty

Attempts to develop financial centres must go beyond luring global capital and talent.

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Asean

Asian Angle | How Asean can resolve its Myanmar dilemma post-election

Asean should not discard the Five-Point Consensus, but translate it into a politically astute strategy of conditional engagement.

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Vote counting takes place on January 25 in Yangon for Myanmar’s general election. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Opinion | Takaichi’s anti-China stance won’t bolster Japan’s security

As the US-led order unravels, the Japanese prime minister’s militaristic approach goes against the global shift towards cooperation with China.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
China technology

Opinion | ‘Becoming Chinese’ memes reflect a world shaped by China’s ascent

The memes are really about how deeply global digital life is embedded in Chinese-built systems – and how comfortable young people are with that.

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Japan

Macroscope | Japan will soon learn how far Takaichi can ride her luck

While Japan is unlikely to have its own Liz Truss moment, high debt levels and an empowered populist in charge are still reasons for concern.

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Japan

Opinion | Will Japan’s election result trigger a security spiral with China?

The result of Japan’s election has altered Tokyo’s domestic political calculus while raising the stakes for regional stability.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Scams and swindles

Opinion | Cambodia is in a frontline battle against transnational scam syndicates

Targeted due to geography, Cambodia is on the front foot now, dismantling scam compounds, rescuing victims and prosecuting criminals.

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In a November 12 raid, the Cambodian authorities rounded up thousands at an online fraud compound in Bavet City, the largest city in the southeastern province of Svay Rieng, which shares a border with Vietnam. Photo: Handout
In a November 12 raid, the Cambodian authorities rounded up thousands at an online fraud compound in Bavet City, the largest city in the southeastern province of Svay Rieng, which shares a border with Vietnam. Photo: Handout
Asia housing and property

The View | Asian property markets’ supply constraints are a double-edged sword

The narrow pool of high-quality assets benefits landlords and affluent investors but poses a challenge to prospective buyers and renters.

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Vietnam

Opinion | Vietnam’s renewed nuclear power push faces formidable hurdles

Money, corruption, a lack of skilled staff and other factors may derail Hanoi’s goal of building its first nuclear power plant by 2031.

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Thailand

Asian Angle | Thailand’s election will pass verdict on the architecture of elite control

After court rulings removed successive PMs, this election tests whether a popular mandate can finally survive the state’s veto traps.

Pedestrians walk past campaign posters in Bangkok on Tuesday ahead of Thailand’s general election. Photo: AFP
Pedestrians walk past campaign posters in Bangkok on Tuesday ahead of Thailand’s general election. Photo: AFP
India

Opinion | Why the new US-India trade agreement is a big deal

The warming of New Delhi’s ties with Washington has implications for Russia, China and the global dynamics of trade and geopolitical power.

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Outside In | Apec’s quiet cooperation still matters in a noisy, divided world

Year-round, multiple intensive working meetings keep the forum an ‘engine room’ of cooperation, reflecting its commitment to multilateralism.

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Commodities

Macroscope | Blame Trump, not Asian investors, for gold and silver volatility

The global uncertainty stemming from Trump’s behaviour is roiling precious metals markets far more than any investment from Asia.

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Molten gold made from jewelry is poured into a mold to produce a gold bar at the Austrian Gold and Silver Refinery in Vienna, Austria on February 3. Photo: AFP
United States

Opinion | Chilling effect of US outbound investment rules will extend beyond China

Outbound investment rules introduced last year are expanding and hardening into law, chilling US investment across Asia’s tech ecosystems.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at the USA House at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. Photo: AP
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at the USA House at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21. Photo: AP
China economy

Opinion | China’s real constraint is where to direct limited fiscal resources

With Beijing focusing on spending priorities, Asian investors and businesses must watch which provinces, sectors and state firms are favoured.

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Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region.

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | How ‘ghost workers’ stand at the crossroads of AI development

The future of artificial intelligence depends not only on algorithms but on who controls and benefits from the labour that machines rely on.

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An employee works at a tech start-up in Bengaluru, India, on February 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
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