bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Ed Ratcliffe

The European Union has set out plans to reset relations with the United States when Joe Biden enters the Oval Office next year. The proposals include a “transatlantic technology space” to shape regulatory frameworks across global tech and address global challenges. Brussels’ proposal reflects rising tensions in diplomatic circles on technology and data issues.
Speaking at the Asia House Global Trade Dialogue in Singapore last year, Arancha Gonzalez, then executive director of the International Trade Centre, colourfully revealed the unanswered questions on tech and data driving debate at the World Trade Organization. “Where will data sit? Who will own it? How will we protect it?” are common concerns raised among WTO members, Gonzalez said.
Answering those questions is a work in progress, but pressure is mounting. The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the digital economy and the appreciation of the strategic use of data. This has raised the stakes in rivalries for global tech and data dominance both at the corporate and at the state level.
The pandemic has brought about lasting economic change. While areas such as physical retail, hospitality and travel have been devastated, online entertainment and e-commerce have surged, with consumers shifting online and spending at record levels.

International and cross-border e-commerce is one area that could prove transformative, offering new opportunities for traditional retailers willing to go digital. The numbers coming out of China bear this out.
In the third quarter, Alibaba Group Holding’s Tmall Global marketplace saw the number of foreign brands setting up on the platform quadruple, with 200,000 new products on sale. In the US, cross-border e-commerce apparel exports in June were up 121 per cent on last year, according to Total Retail data.
As Joe Biden faces a China emboldened in its race to tech supremacy, what policies will he pursue?
Lower overheads combined with easier access to international markets also makes cross-border e-commerce a viable option for developing economies and in particular SMEs, as noted in a report by the WTO last month which identified ‘a clear interest in transitioning to the digital economy’ among these markets.
Despite the obvious benefits, barriers continue to stifle the full potential of cross-border e-commerce; now is the time to remove them.
Yet there is reticence to haul trade policy into the 21st century. The world’s largest trade deal, RCEP, signed last month, is a mammoth agreement covering 30 per cent of global GDP. The deal covers 15 Asian economies – home to some of the most dynamic and innovative digital economies in the world.
But despite having a digital chapter, RCEP avoided prohibitions on data localisation, data barriers, cross-border data flows, and customs duties on electronic transmissions. A great opportunity to remove barriers to digital trade slipped away.
There are, however, signs of progress. The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, signed in 2018 has a stronger digital chapter, and a membership that is likely to want to go further on digital trade.

The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), concluded between Singapore, New Zealand and Chile (all CPTPP members) earlier this year, could offer a way forward. The world’s first digital-only trade deal, DEPA scraps duties on digital products, provides a framework for personal data protection and includes a disputes mechanism.
Its real strength though is in its modular design, which enables trade partners to ‘plug in’ to different blocks without having to commit to the deal in its entirety. In a world where faith in multilateralism is wavering, the flexibility offered by DEPA’s innovative approach could be a winning ticket.
The US-China tech cold war has turned hot – but would a Biden presidency change things for Huawei and others?
But while regional and plurilateral deals are leading the way, data governance remains a global issue. Data is not oil, but it does have similar geopolitical, national security, and economic associations. A free but fair global data regime could be a significant growth driver.
According to a McKinsey report, global GDP growth could increase by between US$250 and US$450 billion per annum if and when data flows freely. Countries that support cross-border data flows are already reaping a 40 per cent economic benefit over less connected countries.
It is essential that we see a redoubling of efforts to engage with this critical issue. This means a more structured dialogue at the highest policy levels to emphasise the mutual benefits that agreement on data can bring. The ‘Osaka Track’ at last year’s G20, which saw the WTO convene world leaders to commit to cooperation on digital rules-making, was an encouraging development. Similarly was the WTO’s Joint Statement Initiative on e-commerce, involving 76 members.
Big challenges require big ideas. There are calls for a ‘World Data Organisation’ to multilaterally build a level digital playing field and erode the obstacles that currently exist. There is merit in the idea – mainly in that it will elevate data as an issue among policymakers. But regardless of the forum, until there is committed and genuine engagement on data, the full value of digital trade can never be realised.
Tech can be a force for good in the world. But it is the good will of policymakers that is needed now.
The role of tech in global trade was a key theme of this year’s Asia House Global Trade Dialogue, featuring Kai-Fu Lee and other distinguished speakers.
Ed Ratcliffe is Head of Advisory at Asia House, a centre of expertise on trade, investment and public policy, which aims to drive political, economic and commercial engagement between Asia and Europe.


Policymakers are catching up with innovation – but more needs to happen for global tech to thrive

Data is not oil, but it does have similar geopolitical, national security, and economic associations. Photo: Shutterstock.

(201116) -- BEIJING, Nov. 16, 2020 (Xinhua) -- The signing ceremony of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is held via video conference in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Nov. 15, 2020. The RCEP agreement was signed among its 15 participating countries on Sunday, launching the world's biggest free trade bloc. (VNA via Xinhua)

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden delivers a pre-Thanksgiving speech at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

Tech

Opinion

Comment


The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the digital economy and the appreciation of the strategic use of data
International and cross-border e-commerce is one area that could prove transformative, offering new opportunities for retailers willing to go digital



The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the digital economy and the appreciation of the strategic use of data.


US-China tech war

US-China relations

World Trade Organization (WTO)

European Union

Joe Biden

E-commerce

US-China trade war

Diplomacy

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion | Policymakers are catching up with innovation – but more needs to happen for global tech to thrive

The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the digital economy and the appreciation of the strategic use of data International and cross-border e-commerce is one area that could prove transformative, offering new opportunities for retailers willing to go digital

The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the digital economy and the appreciation of the strategic use of data

International and cross-border e-commerce is one area that could prove transformative, offering new opportunities for retailers willing to go digital