https://www.scmp.com/rss/323048/feed The events affecting bottom lines in Asia’s business environment ­– analysed and explained en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s hope for a shift in US trade policy is unlikely to be realised for some time, experts warn, as the new Democratic-led Congress will face strong opposition from US President Donald Trump in its attempt to reverse some of his tariff measures. Trump’s Republicans suffered their worst rout in recent times in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, losing control of both Congress and the Senate by wide margins as voters made clear their anger at Trump over surging living costs caused by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373541/why-malaysia-may-still-face-trade-uncertainty-after-us-midterms https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373541/why-malaysia-may-still-face-trade-uncertainty-after-us-midterms Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:00:26 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore is seeking to flip the script by turning its land and manpower constraints into reasons to embrace AI instead of fearing it, even as the technology carries the spectre of job losses and cyberthreats in the wrong hands, a senior official has said. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo argued that pragmatism would give her resource-scarce country an edge without becoming overly reliant on any single power or AI provider. At the Family Business Summit in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373439/how-singapore-confronts-ai-fears-broken-career-ladder-no-pause-button https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373439/how-singapore-confronts-ai-fears-broken-career-ladder-no-pause-button Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:30:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk South Korea is investigating hundreds of financial institutions after more than 470,000 data records were leaked from 37 firms over the past month, according to the country’s financial regulator. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) revealed the scale of the breaches on Thursday as authorities vowed to strengthen cybersecurity measures following a string of similar cases affecting the financial sector and government agencies. The FSC detailed the incidents at a meeting with officials from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373363/south-korea-investigates-580-finance-firms-over-data-leaks-issues-warning https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373363/south-korea-investigates-580-finance-firms-over-data-leaks-issues-warning Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:08:53 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s ambitious plans to construct high-speed railways, metro networks and strategic roads through the Himalayas could be hampered by China’s proposed restrictions on tunnel-boring machines, exposing a dependence on foreign technology that New Delhi may find difficult to overcome. Experts say while the curbs are unlikely to halt construction, they could slow major projects and have intensified calls for India to develop its own advanced tunnelling equipment. The restrictions also threaten to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373301/india-vows-dig-its-way-out-china-machinery-curbs https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373301/india-vows-dig-its-way-out-china-machinery-curbs Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:30:36 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Vietnam’s average economic output per person is set to overtake Indonesia’s, according to the International Monetary Fund. Gross domestic product per capita, which provides a snapshot of a country’s standard of living, is projected to rise 8.9 per cent to US$5,259 in Vietnam this year – nearly double the figure a decade earlier and overtaking Indonesia’s US$5,153. This would also rank Vietnam fifth among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, behind Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373113/vietnam-surpasses-indonesia-person-gdp-thailand-next https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373113/vietnam-surpasses-indonesia-person-gdp-thailand-next Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Since returning to the White House in January last year, US President Donald Trump has upended the global trading order with his scattergun approach to tariffs and launched a war on Iran that sent oil prices soaring. On Tuesday, American voters hurting from nagging inflation and the high cost of living that have defined Trump’s second term have the opportunity to deliver their verdict on his Republican Party in the midterm elections. Polls suggest that the Republicans, who currently control both... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373082/why-midterm-mauling-trump-will-not-bring-asia-trade-relief https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373082/why-midterm-mauling-trump-will-not-bring-asia-trade-relief Tue, 03 Nov 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore is pitching itself as a bridge between the European Union (EU) and Asean, as the two blocs continue their protracted discussions to seal a free trade agreement (FTA). However, Myanmar’s political uncertainty is a major hurdle towards an EU-Asean FTA, and Singapore will have to play a key role to break the deadlock when it assumes the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year, according to an analyst. At a joint press conference with German Chancellor... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373027/asean-seeks-sign-fta-eu-can-singapore-help-resolve-myanmar-hurdle https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373027/asean-seeks-sign-fta-eu-can-singapore-help-resolve-myanmar-hurdle Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:30:14 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Video game companies have long been at the vanguard of artificial intelligence, using it in its more nascent form to dictate non-player character behaviour, simulate crowds and adjust game difficulty on the fly years before the advent of chatbots like ChatGPT. Today, the technology is increasingly being deployed to write code, create visual assets and even synthesise real-time voice-overs, supplanting humans who would have otherwise done the work. Yet studios do still pay people to animate their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372761/humans-vs-ai-art-why-game-studios-hire-southeast-asian-talent https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372761/humans-vs-ai-art-why-game-studios-hire-southeast-asian-talent Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle boom risks leaving the region’s smaller companies behind, as Chinese automotive giants bypass local part-makers in favour of imported components and locked-in supplier networks. Local manufacturers across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are facing a double squeeze: demand is weakening for parts used in petrol and diesel cars, collectively known as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, while steep barriers to entry also keep them out of EV supply... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372760/southeast-asias-ev-boom-sidelines-local-car-parts-suppliers https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372760/southeast-asias-ev-boom-sidelines-local-car-parts-suppliers Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones,Kolette Lim,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Aidan Jones,Kolette Lim,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Nafeesa Azman has applied for hundreds of jobs over the past two months, yet the 24-year-old Malaysian marketing graduate is yet to find a permanent role that pays what she needs or uses the skills she spent years, and a good deal of money, developing. Natthanicha Intawong, a final-year media arts student in Bangkok, describes the terror many of her peers feel as they prepare to enter a jobs market that artificial intelligence is already beginning to scythe through. For Joshua Nai, a Singaporean... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372752/im-terrified-ai-comes-southeast-asias-graduate-jobs https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372752/im-terrified-ai-comes-southeast-asias-graduate-jobs Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is looking beyond Singapore for petrol supplies as it seeks to reduce its dependence on a single source, but analysts say diversifying imports will do little to address the country’s fuel production shortfall without faster refinery modernisation and investment in alternative fuels. Indonesia has long sourced petroleum products from Singapore, including RON 90 petrol, which has a minimum octane rating of 90 and is marketed domestically as Pertalite. Singapore’s geographic proximity,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372754/will-diversifying-fuel-imports-be-enough-fix-indonesias-energy-shortfall https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372754/will-diversifying-fuel-imports-be-enough-fix-indonesias-energy-shortfall Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:32:53 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia received its first South Korean-made light combat jet on Friday under a nearly 4 billion ringgit (US$990 million) procurement, in what analysts describe as welcome relief for an ageing air force still years away from replacing its frontline fighters. The FA-50M Block 20 jet arrived at the air force base in Labuan, off Borneo, with a second expected in Kuantan on the peninsula’s east coast next Monday. They are the first of 18 aircraft ordered from Korea Aerospace Industries under a deal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372710/saviour-or-stop-gap-malaysias-south-korean-jets-arrive-relieve-ageing-fighters https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372710/saviour-or-stop-gap-malaysias-south-korean-jets-arrive-relieve-ageing-fighters Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:57:20 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election should provide continuity for the country’s trade push into Southeast Asia, analysts say, as Vietnam and Indonesia pursue preferential trade agreements with Mercosur, the South American bloc in which Brazil is the largest economy. But better access to Brazil and other Mercosur markets is far from assured, with trade experts pointing to difficult negotiations over tariffs and agricultural access, as well as political differences within... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372589/can-lulas-re-election-unlock-mercosur-markets-southeast-asia https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372589/can-lulas-re-election-unlock-mercosur-markets-southeast-asia Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix kept almost 80 per cent of its total sales as operating profit last quarter, a margin almost unheard of in manufacturing, as the country’s chipmakers reap the rewards of the global artificial intelligence boom. Operating profit, defined as earnings from the company’s core business before interest and taxes, soared 632 per cent in the three months to September from a year earlier to 83.33 trillion won (US$62.76 billion) on revenue of 104.62 trillion won, SK... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372439/south-koreas-chipmakers-are-raking-it-can-china-close-gap https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372439/south-koreas-chipmakers-are-raking-it-can-china-close-gap Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof More than one in 10 Malaysian men have borrowed money to pay for dates, while nearly six in 10 usually pick up the entire bill, a survey has found. The findings come as rising living costs place a financial strain on romance in Malaysia, where money worries are increasingly complicating plans for marriage and starting a family. According to the Dating Expenditure Survey in Malaysia, released on Tuesday by independent policy research firm LEGASI Research, 13.2 per cent of male respondents... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372261/price-romance-young-malaysian-men-borrow-fund-dates-study-finds https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372261/price-romance-young-malaysian-men-borrow-fund-dates-study-finds Tue, 27 Oct 2026 06:08:46 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Filipinos split on Marcos’ sea handling amid row over Chinese envoy’s remarks Filipinos are almost evenly divided over the Marcos administration’s handling of the maritime dispute with China, even as nearly three in four favour diplomacy over confrontation, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3372227/why-paper-straws-are-worse-plastic-japans-silver-divorce-rise-7-asia-highlights https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3372227/why-paper-straws-are-worse-plastic-japans-silver-divorce-rise-7-asia-highlights Tue, 27 Oct 2026 04:30:07 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan In parts of Southeast Asia, unsold homes are piling up as developers struggle to clear housing stock – yet young buyers hoping to land their first property still cannot find an affordable home. The paradox reflects a growing mismatch between the homes being built and what aspiring buyers can afford, according to analysts, who point to speculative investment, financing hurdles and poor locations as factors leaving properties empty even amid demand for affordable housing. In Vietnam, the problem... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372208/southeast-asias-housing-paradox-too-many-homes-too-few-buyers https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372208/southeast-asias-housing-paradox-too-many-homes-too-few-buyers Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:24 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines faces the highest climate-driven port damage costs in Southeast Asia, with annual losses projected to hit US$70.2 billion by 2100, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned. Analysts say the damage could cripple supply chains, drive up food prices and threaten livelihoods, urging Manila to adopt a more coordinated approach to flood protection rather than simply strengthening port infrastructure. In its latest report titled “Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2026: Coastal Risks on the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372185/climate-damage-philippine-ports-could-cost-us70b-year-2100 https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372185/climate-damage-philippine-ports-could-cost-us70b-year-2100 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:46:33 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea earned US$116.63 billion more from the world than it spent in the second quarter of this year – exceeding the combined current account surpluses of Germany and Japan for the first time on record. The current account measures a country’s trade and income with the world. It counts goods and services sold abroad, money earned on overseas investments and payments flowing the other way. A surplus means more foreign currency is coming in than going out. Surging demand for semiconductors... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372150/ai-chip-surge-lifts-south-korea-record-surplus-behind-only-china https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3372150/ai-chip-surge-lifts-south-korea-record-surplus-behind-only-china Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:39:38 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Before the outbreak of the war triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February, the Gulf monarchies were living the prosperity dream that was the envy of the world. Their hydrocarbon-fuelled economies were glitzy oases of growth, inoculated from the conflict in Gaza that had rocked other parts of the Middle East for several years. Underpinned by decades-old US security guarantees and conflict mediation by billionaire sheikhs, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar cultivated... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371922/gulf-economies-accelerate-diversification-recession-looms-over-iran-war https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371922/gulf-economies-accelerate-diversification-recession-looms-over-iran-war Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Fatimah Zainal had already paid for her flights and accommodation when videos of the unrest in France made her jittery about the Paris leg of her European holiday. “The videos definitely made me panic,” said Fatimah, who plans to visit the French capital solo from October 31 to November 3 after travelling through Belgium. The press officer for an international organisation said the Malaysian government’s travel advisory gave her second thoughts, and changing her flight would cost up to an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371964/france-unrest-sparks-travel-jitters-southeast-asian-tourists https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371964/france-unrest-sparks-travel-jitters-southeast-asian-tourists Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:00:20 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Indonesia’s warnings of curbing energy exports to countries it deems disrespectful amid regional tensions have put Singapore and other Southeast Asian buyers on notice, exposing the risks of relying on a neighbour increasingly protective of its resources. On Thursday, Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia said he would not hesitate to consider halting exports to countries that did not respect Indonesia. “Don’t come asking for help only when you’re in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371967/what-indonesias-warnings-energy-cuts-mean-asean https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371967/what-indonesias-warnings-energy-cuts-mean-asean Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:22:20 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A wind energy partnership between Vietnam and Denmark has fuelled expectations of the Southeast Asian country boosting its competitiveness in renewable electricity to serve overseas and domestic markets. Vietnam is well placed to grow its renewable electricity sector by tapping its large pool of engineering talent and abundant wind resources with help from Denmark, a global leader in wind energy, according to analysts. On Tuesday, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371827/vietnam-partners-denmark-propel-its-wind-energy-ambition https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371827/vietnam-partners-denmark-propel-its-wind-energy-ambition Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho In the wake of Indonesia’s worst stock-market rout since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has turned to appeals to economic nationalism to shore up confidence, urging citizens to rally behind the country’s battered stock market. The government has promised reforms in response to warnings from global index provider MSCI that Indonesia could be downgraded from emerging-market to stand-alone-market status. But analysts say its patriotic appeals will do... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371767/can-prabowos-economic-nationalism-save-indonesia-potential-msci-downgrade https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371767/can-prabowos-economic-nationalism-save-indonesia-potential-msci-downgrade Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Southeast Asian nations are seeking to make it easier for businesses and consumers to operate across borders in the digital economy, but achieving the goal will depend on whether governments can align their domestic laws under a proposed pact, according to analysts. Targeted to be signed during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila in November, the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) is aimed at improving compatibility between rules and systems governing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371685/asean-wants-single-digital-economy-will-different-state-laws-hobble-its-goal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371685/asean-wants-single-digital-economy-will-different-state-laws-hobble-its-goal Thu, 22 Oct 2026 02:30:19 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran When Mark Ifurung left his 18-year career as an IT professional in May, he was happy to ditch his two-hour commutes from his home in Cavite province south of Manila to his office in Makati City. So for his fresh start, the 40-year-old father of four wanted something that would allow him to work from home. “After being unemployed for five months, I decided to explore freelancing,” he said. “With my background in IT operations and application support, I realised I already have transferable skills... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371614/filipinos-virtual-assistant-trumps-doctor-dream-job-whats-reality https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371614/filipinos-virtual-assistant-trumps-doctor-dream-job-whats-reality Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The coming launch of India’s largest-ever initial public offering (IPO) will test investor confidence in the country’s leading telecoms operator, Jio Platforms, the digital arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. Jio’s public share offer on Wednesday comes close on the heels of an escalating row between Ambani and Elon Musk. The SpaceX founder has accused the Indian industrialist of using monopolistic influence to block Starlink’s entry into India – a charge Reliance has denied,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371536/indias-record-us108b-jio-ipo-tests-market-faith-musk-rivalry-heats https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371536/indias-record-us108b-jio-ipo-tests-market-faith-musk-rivalry-heats Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:43:36 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As the threat of a reclassification by MSCI that could relegate Indonesia to an investment hinterland looms, the country’s financial regulators and stock exchange officials have vowed to address systemic concerns, including removing stocks with concentrated ownership. The global index provider announced on Friday it was launching a formal consultation to decide whether to downgrade Southeast Asia’s largest economy from “emerging market” to “stand-alone” status, similar to countries such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371515/indonesia-faces-msci-downgrade-threat-officials-vow-reforms-ease-fears https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371515/indonesia-faces-msci-downgrade-threat-officials-vow-reforms-ease-fears Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:02:45 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government will publicly release the findings of a special task force on corporate malfeasance in three months, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday, as his administration seeks to appease public anger over its perceived failure to clamp down on corruption. Anwar is facing a reckoning in the final stretch of his term after his ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition was handed bruising defeats in three state elections over the past year. Former supporters have accused the coalition... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371468/malaysias-anwar-promises-full-disclosure-corporate-mafia-scandal-grows https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371468/malaysias-anwar-promises-full-disclosure-corporate-mafia-scandal-grows Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:31:50 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Filipino seafarer Jay was on lookout duty aboard a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz one evening in August when drones swarmed overhead, darting past his ship and two others it was following. Within seconds, an explosion rang out from a tanker ahead. “That was traumatic for me when I saw that the tanker ahead of our vessel had been hit,” said Jay, whose real name has been withheld to protect him from possible employer retribution. The 29-year-old and his fellow crew members made it... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371457/dire-straits-why-filipino-sailors-continue-brave-troubled-middle-east-waters https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371457/dire-straits-why-filipino-sailors-continue-brave-troubled-middle-east-waters Tue, 20 Oct 2026 05:00:05 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim While Hong Kong is betting on its established banking network to bring stablecoins into mainstream finance, Singapore is seeking to make regulated digital currencies easier to use. Both approaches reflect different priorities in the race to build global cryptocurrency centres: Hong Kong is linking stablecoins to its existing financial system, while Singapore is looking to strengthen the infrastructure for circulating and settling tokenised assets. Analysts said the ultimate test would be whether... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371445/singapore-hong-kong-take-different-paths-race-stablecoin-dominance-who-will-win https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371445/singapore-hong-kong-take-different-paths-race-stablecoin-dominance-who-will-win Tue, 20 Oct 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji After completing a master’s degree in data science at Pace University in New York in May last year, Tarun returned to India in October, saying frequent changes in US visa rules and employer sponsorship requirements had made it difficult for him to find a job in the world’s largest economy. Tarun, who is from the southern Indian city of Tirupati, felt returning home was a more prudent move than pursuing a job in the US indefinitely. “I got a job within one month here [Bengaluru] with an American... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371404/calls-grow-india-lure-tech-talent-home-us-tightens-job-curbs https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371404/calls-grow-india-lure-tech-talent-home-us-tightens-job-curbs Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:57:16 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines’ telco industry wants the country to become a regional digital hub anchored by stable underwater cables, but a leading executive and analysts warn that slow approvals for repairs, limited monitoring and fragmented official oversight could undermine the ambition. At a forum on archipelagic governance for subsea cables, PLDT, the Philippines’ largest telecommunications company, called for greater cooperation among government agencies and further reforms to expand the vital digital... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371383/philippines-laws-underwater-cables-lagging-behind-its-digital-hub-goal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371383/philippines-laws-underwater-cables-lagging-behind-its-digital-hub-goal Mon, 19 Oct 2026 09:36:22 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Almost every year, Kevin Stewart flies to China to find stock for his Indonesian businesses. But increasingly, the factories he visits are selling to his customers too, sometimes for less than they charge him. A data science manager in the tech sector by day, the Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur also helps run home-living and pet-supply companies that sell to other businesses and direct to consumers, including through e-commerce platforms. Yet Chinese companies listing directly on Indonesian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371179/southeast-asias-ethnic-chinese-traders-feel-china-squeeze https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371179/southeast-asias-ethnic-chinese-traders-feel-china-squeeze Sun, 18 Oct 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran US President Donald Trump is expected to drive hard bargains on tariffs and critical minerals in his return to the Asean summit in Manila next month, with Washington seeking greater economic and strategic concessions while remaining hawkish on China. The Philippines confirmed on Wednesday that Trump would fly in for the summit from November 16 to 18, before attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Shenzhen that same week. Trump’s second consecutive appearance at the forum... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371132/trumps-second-asean-summit-presence-comes-price-region https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371132/trumps-second-asean-summit-presence-comes-price-region Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Esha Yusof joined the growing ranks of Malaysian shoppers being drawn to Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo. Esha is a relative newcomer. She signed up in July, more than half a year after the platform launched in Malaysia – and has been smitten with it ever since. Rock-bottom prices, a vast range of products and seamless payments through a popular local e-wallet make it easy for the 32-year-old to spend an average of 500 ringgit (US$122) a month... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371173/malaysias-shoppers-love-chinese-e-commerce-its-factories-pay-price https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371173/malaysias-shoppers-love-chinese-e-commerce-its-factories-pay-price Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has spent months trying to persuade investors that its economy is on the right course. A weakening rupiah, mounting budgetary pressures and a series of contentious policy decisions have made that task harder. Doubts about the management of Southeast Asia’s largest economy have now coalesced around its central bank, whose independence has come under intense scrutiny recently as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to steer economic policy. The appointment of Destry Damayanti – initially as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele A private jet hired from Malaysia – seemingly destined for the Philippines – but stopped on the tarmac by Laos’ drug police who found suitcases stuffed with 512kg of crystal methamphetamine, has returned the spotlight to the unrelenting flow of narcotics from the Mekong’s drug laboratories. Cyberscams have dominated headlines and authorities’ attention across Southeast Asia for over a year as the leading criminal enterprise worth tens of billions of dollars annually. But methamphetamine – in its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371043/laos-private-jet-bust-reveals-how-mekong-meth-slips-past-borders https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371043/laos-private-jet-bust-reveals-how-mekong-meth-slips-past-borders Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:17:17 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Faced with a fuel crisis beyond its control, Bangladesh’s government is spending the equivalent of hundreds of millions of US dollars each month to insulate its people from surging prices. But as growth slows and inflation rises, the new government’s reform plans are being tested before it has had much time to clean up the country’s troubled financial institutions or retool its young, abundant – but underemployed – workforce for the AI era. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office on February... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370930/how-fuel-crisis-threatening-bangladeshs-reform-goals-it-hit-our-citizens-hard https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370930/how-fuel-crisis-threatening-bangladeshs-reform-goals-it-hit-our-citizens-hard Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese companies have faced a growing wave of cyberattacks in recent weeks, exposing millions of customers’ records as analysts warn that artificial intelligence is helping hackers exploit long-standing security weaknesses and overcome language barriers that once offered some protection. More than 500 breaches of corporate systems were reported in the year to this month, surpassing the total for all of 2025, the Yomiuri newspaper reported last week. On October 7, a ransomware attack on IDC... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370875/ai-armed-hackers-tear-through-corporate-japans-neglected-defences https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370875/ai-armed-hackers-tear-through-corporate-japans-neglected-defences Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:13 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Motorists have been left queuing for hours at petrol stations across Indonesia’s resort island of Bali in recent days amid reports of a crippling fuel shortage. Long queues have been spotted all around the island, including in the capital Denpasar, Badung and Tabana, according to the Bali Post. On Tuesday, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster stressed that there was enough fuel to go around, suggesting that panic buying might have caused the shortages at the pumps. “People need to be patient because the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370802/indonesias-bali-hit-fuel-crisis-huge-queues-form-petrol-stations https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370802/indonesias-bali-hit-fuel-crisis-huge-queues-form-petrol-stations Wed, 14 Oct 2026 03:10:15 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports and allow fresh supplies to reach global markets could give India greater leverage in its own dispute with Washington over discounted crude purchases, analysts said. Beyond the energy dispute, they said the move could also open up diplomatic opportunities for New Delhi, from pressing for more consistent treatment by Washington to building on its efforts to help negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Under the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370749/india-gain-trumps-russian-diesel-deal-offers-delhi-leverage https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370749/india-gain-trumps-russian-diesel-deal-offers-delhi-leverage Tue, 13 Oct 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Investor Ben Lindsay relocated from Sydney to Singapore in March, with wife and dog in tow – his sights set on growing venture capital firm Investible from an Australian outfit into an Asia-Pacific one. Lindsay is among a growing number of investors, businessmen and tech founders from down under who are setting up bases and relocating to Singapore, Dubai and San Francisco to expand their company’s reach. For example, Australian billionaire Adrian Portelli, founder of savings and rewards platform... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370642/not-just-about-tax-why-australias-tech-entrepreneurs-are-moving-singapore https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370642/not-just-about-tax-why-australias-tech-entrepreneurs-are-moving-singapore Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:22 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones An investment surge into artificial intelligence may be helping prop up a global economy battered by energy supply shocks, but the technology’s potential to cull jobs requires swift mitigation if Asia’s youth are to secure a place in the future workforce, delegates were warned at the IMF–World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok on Monday. Soaring energy prices, persistent inflation and mounting debt framed the opening of the week-long summit, which was last hosted in the Thai capital in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370618/ai-fuelling-growth-while-putting-asias-young-workers-risk-imf-meeting-hears https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370618/ai-fuelling-growth-while-putting-asias-young-workers-risk-imf-meeting-hears Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:04:14 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia plans to spend 460 billion ringgit (US$112.6 billion) under its 2027 budget, expanding welfare assistance and tax relief while retaining fuel subsidies as households contend with higher living costs. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, presented the spending plan in parliament on Friday as his government faces pressure for an early election following a series of state poll defeats. Anwar said the budget should be judged on “whether more people can live with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370384/17-key-takeaways-malaysias-2027-budget-live-dignity https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370384/17-key-takeaways-malaysias-2027-budget-live-dignity Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:58:04 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) has suffered bruising defeats in a series of state elections since December, as voters expressed disapproval of his administration’s failure to deliver on promises of reforms, which had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370316/malaysia-budget-anwar-boost-welfare-keep-subsidies-amid-inflation-worries https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370316/malaysia-budget-anwar-boost-welfare-keep-subsidies-amid-inflation-worries Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:31:43 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Australia may have vast tracts of land and political will to support the growth of the artificial intelligence industry, but the development of data centres to power the technology is proving more challenging. Last month, property developer Goodman Group withdrew its application for a 90-megawatt data centre in Lane Cove, on Sydney’s lower north shore, after months of opposition from residents about the potential impact on their electricity and water supplies, noise pollution and other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370115/data-centre-opposition-growing-australia-there-middle-ground https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370115/data-centre-opposition-growing-australia-there-middle-ground Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:00:18 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As households across Southeast Asia face rising prices, higher borrowing costs and insecure jobs, analysts say governments should do more to protect a middle class that drives consumer spending but can fall between the cracks of social protection systems designed primarily for poorer households. The issue has come into sharper focus in the Philippines, where the Asian Development Bank Institute urged the government in September to provide targeted support for the middle class to protect its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370111/protect-middle-why-southeast-asia-should-care-about-vulnerable-class https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370111/protect-middle-why-southeast-asia-should-care-about-vulnerable-class Thu, 08 Oct 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Despite Malaysia’s insistence that its long-standing non-alignment policy extends to cyberspace, analysts say the country’s reliance on American and Chinese technology could make such a stance difficult to sustain amid the rivalry between the two superpowers. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Monday that Malaysia would “always remain neutral” in cyberspace, arguing that cyber threats could come from non-state actors and should not be viewed solely through the lens of geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370087/can-neutral-malaysia-stay-above-fray-us-china-tech-rivalry https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3370087/can-neutral-malaysia-stay-above-fray-us-china-tech-rivalry Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:25:59 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau When Chinese coffee giant Luckin Coffee moved into the unit next to his neighbourhood cafe in Singapore, Folk Yard owner Chew Yit Shan grew nervous. Luckin launched with an aggressive promotional deal of S$1 (78 US cents) per cup, served in just two minutes. In the first few months following its arrival, Chew saw sales at his independent cafe drop by 15 per cent. But once the initial hype had died down and the promotions ended, Chew said regular patrons returned and coffee sales bounced... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3369889/how-singapores-local-cafes-compete-chinese-coffee-giant-luckin https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3369889/how-singapores-local-cafes-compete-chinese-coffee-giant-luckin Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:00:08 +0000