https://www.scmp.com/rss/503558/feed Su-Lin Tan joined the Post in 2020 after the Australian Financial Review where she covered housing and commercial property, Asian business and street talk and investigations. She is a qualified accountant and worked in investment banking and funds management both in London and Sydney before becoming a journalist. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Canberra, Australia’s capital, is home to powerful diplomats and government officials, but shocking instances of modern slavery have emerged within its borders. Sri Lankan domestic worker Priyanka Danaratna was held against her will for three years without a passport in the five-bedroom house of her employer Himalee Arunatilaka, the then-deputy high commissioner of Sri Lanka, just a stone’s throw away from Australia’s parliament. From 2015 to 2018, Arunatilaka paid Danaratna less than 65... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277535/modern-slavery-australias-diplomatic-heart-envoys-abuse-domestic-workers-exposed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277535/modern-slavery-australias-diplomatic-heart-envoys-abuse-domestic-workers-exposed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:00:12 +0000 Cambodia is eyeing direct flights to Melbourne as part of a broader push to strengthen ties with Australia through expanded trade, education, and tourism partnerships, including potential university collaborations and investment opportunities. At a key business summit in Sydney last week, Cheunboran Chanborey, Cambodia’s ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, told This Week in Asia he was hoping to establish direct flights between Cambodia and Melbourne’s Avalon airport. The initiative is in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277207/cambodia-targets-direct-flights-melbourne-boost-trade-education-ties-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277207/cambodia-targets-direct-flights-melbourne-boost-trade-education-ties-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 02:00:11 +0000 Malaysia’s biggest state, Sarawak, is courting more Australian collaboration to boost its green economy, with premier Abang Johari Openg making a pitch for his state in a keynote speech at an economic summit in Sydney. “Sarawak stands at a critical juncture where we must decouple GDP growth from unsustainable energy and resource consumption. This shift will not happen on its own,” Abang Johari said while speaking at this year’s edition of the annual Asean-Australian Business Forum on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276459/malaysias-sarawak-courts-australian-cooperation-boost-green-economy-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276459/malaysias-sarawak-courts-australian-cooperation-boost-green-economy-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:12 +0000 The United Nations and climate activists have pressed developed nations such as Australia to further curb fossil fuel emissions at a key annual Pacific leaders’ forum in Tonga, amid warnings of the “grave danger” of rising sea levels. Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting on Wednesday also separately endorsed a Canberra-led regional policing initiative, a move seen as a means to limit China’s security influence in the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3276312/australia-urged-cut-fossil-fuel-emissions-pacific-nations-back-landmark-policing-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3276312/australia-urged-cut-fossil-fuel-emissions-pacific-nations-back-landmark-policing-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2024 01:00:17 +0000 More Australians view opposition leader Peter Dutton’s stance on banning Gaza refugees as a necessary national security measure rather than a political ploy, a new poll has shown, underscoring the growing public anxiety over immigration and its impact on national unity. Dutton, the leader of the conservative party coalition, has for the past two weeks pushed to stop issuing Australian visas to refugees fleeing the war to prevent the admittance of Hamas sympathisers and criticised the Anthony... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276151/more-australians-anxious-over-immigration-amid-push-ban-gaza-war-refugees-new-poll-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276151/more-australians-anxious-over-immigration-amid-push-ban-gaza-war-refugees-new-poll-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:15 +0000 The apparent murder-suicide of two Chinese students in Sydney has highlighted a growing mental health crisis among Australia’s international student community, with experts warning that cultural isolation and insufficient mental health support are fuelling a troubling trend. Police revealed on Wednesday that university student Xiaoting Wang was stabbed in a flat, while another Chinese student, who has yet to be identified but is understood to have been living with Wang, was found dead at the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3275721/chinese-students-suicides-australia-highlight-mental-health-crisis-amid-extreme-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3275721/chinese-students-suicides-australia-highlight-mental-health-crisis-amid-extreme-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 09:00:18 +0000 Australia has a soft spot for underdogs. But when it comes to Rachael Gunn aka Raygun, the nation’s unorthodox contender in this year’s Olympic breakdancing debut, controversy has muddied that affection. Clips of Raygun’s unconventional moves at the Paris Games went viral, as did online hate and conspiracy theories over whether she was Australia’s best female breakdancer. Lest we forget, Australia’s male entry J Attack or Jeff Dunne was on form but didn’t rack up as many memes - the tabloid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3275550/australias-raygun-olympic-saga-simmers-over-demand-answers-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3275550/australias-raygun-olympic-saga-simmers-over-demand-answers-top?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 02:30:12 +0000 Amid growing fearmongering around refugees, Australia’s Malaysian-born Foreign Minister Penny Wong shared how her own rise once seemed “as fantastic as fiction” in a speech urging more diverse leadership and announcing new initiatives to strengthen her country’s ties with Asia. Wong, who is usually reticent to speak about personal experiences, gave a candid account about dealing with racism as a child when she delivered the inaugural lecture on Monday at the Centre for Asian-Australian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275226/fantastic-fiction-penny-wongs-becoming-australias-top-diplomat-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275226/fantastic-fiction-penny-wongs-becoming-australias-top-diplomat-immigrant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:58:11 +0000 Southeast Asian countries are expected to be a low priority for former US president Donald Trump should he return to the Oval Office and could even encounter trade protectionism from Washington, according to a new report from the Lowy Institute. Trump might not have any time for the region if he were re-elected while countries such as Vietnam which had been major beneficiaries of the relocation of tech supply chains from China prompted by the US-China trade war would be wary of being targeted... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3274777/southeast-asia-low-priority-donald-trump-event-us-election-win-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3274777/southeast-asia-low-priority-donald-trump-event-us-election-win-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 09:05:55 +0000 The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has condemned a public petition calling for an apology from local breakdancer Rachael Gunn or “Raygun” and the country’s Olympic chief Anna Meares for “misleading the Australian public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes”. The mounting controversy surrounding Gunn, who became an internet sensation after her performance at the Olympics failed to attract a single point, escalated to anger, with thousands in Australia signing a petition accusing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3274702/cant-catch-break-australian-olympic-committee-condemns-public-call-apology-breakdancer-raygun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3274702/cant-catch-break-australian-olympic-committee-condemns-public-call-apology-breakdancer-raygun?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:14:55 +0000 Australia has signed a new agreement with the US and the UK that would allow not just an exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information as part of Aukus, but also the transfer of nuclear material to Australia, a move that critics warn could lead to dumping of the radioactive material in the country. Critics are also concerned over its secrecy and Australia cosying up to the US, particularly after a letter by US President Joe Biden to the US House of Representatives and the US Senate president... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3274188/australia-blasted-new-aukus-deal-over-nuclear-waste-fears-blow-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3274188/australia-blasted-new-aukus-deal-over-nuclear-waste-fears-blow-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 09:05:06 +0000 Concerns over a potential US recession roiled markets across Asia Pacific this week amid rising business insolvencies, but economists suggest these developments reflect a necessary correction as central banks address continue to tackle inflation. Japanese stocks suffered the biggest one-day drop since 1987 on Monday, while the Australian stock market’s ASX 200 was pummelled following disappointing employment figures from the US last week that led to concerns the data all but confirmed a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273457/asia-pacific-markets-overblown-fears-us-recession-led-needed-correction-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273457/asia-pacific-markets-overblown-fears-us-recession-led-needed-correction-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 02:00:17 +0000 The reimposition of anti-dumping duty on canned pineapples from the Philippines has become a sticking point in Australia’s strategic trade partnership with Manila, highlighting some of the hurdles that could pose a threat to deeper Southeast Asian ties envisioned by Canberra. In 2021, Australia lifted a 15-year punitive measure against consumer canned pineapples, providing relief to Filipino producers battered by the pandemic. But the tariffs of between 5.9 and 22.9 per cent were reapplied a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273375/anti-dumping-duty-philippines-canned-pineapples-thorn-australia-manila-strategic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273375/anti-dumping-duty-philippines-canned-pineapples-thorn-australia-manila-strategic-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2024 06:07:07 +0000 For the first time in a decade, Southeast Asia has attracted more foreign direct investment (FDI) than China as investors shift faster towards building “China + 1” supply chains amid increasing manufacturing costs and rising tariffs that have reduced Beijing’s competitiveness. That is according to a new report on the state of investments in the region released by the Angsana Council, Bain & Company, and DBS Bank on Thursday. The report forecasts that the growth in foreign investments in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3272690/asean-fdi-outpaces-china-first-time-decade-amid-supply-shifts-rising-costs-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3272690/asean-fdi-outpaces-china-first-time-decade-amid-supply-shifts-rising-costs-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:00:22 +0000 A new government report in Australia has recommended nearly 30 steps to enhance the nation’s cultural diversity, including offering citizenship tests in multiple languages and the creation of a dedicated commission for multicultural affairs. Observers have praised the Department of Home Affairs’ Multicultural Framework Review released on Wednesday and its ambitious reform agenda, but stress that its success hinges on effective implementation. Canberra did not publicly accept the report’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272085/will-australias-new-multiculturalism-road-map-help-boost-migrants-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272085/will-australias-new-multiculturalism-road-map-help-boost-migrants-sense-belonging?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:30:08 +0000 The CrowdStrike outage, which shut down government and corporate IT systems across the globe, caused significant chaos across Asia-Pacific last week and raised many still unresolved questions about its financial fallout and liability issues. However, insurers and IT experts said the outages’ impact on the region was limited and would not lead to an overhaul of cybersecurity protocols, although they recommended businesses strengthen their backup systems and continuity plans in case similar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3271923/asia-pacific-faces-fallout-crowdstrike-outage-it-will-continue-happen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3271923/asia-pacific-faces-fallout-crowdstrike-outage-it-will-continue-happen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:00:13 +0000 As an Australian journalist working in Asia, I was recently asked what was Asia’s view of Australia. Some wanted to know what Asian consumers desired, while others wanted to know what Asians thought about Australia’s global reputation. But almost all of them want feedback because they wish for better relations with Asia or to do more business with Asia, which is in line with what Canberra wants. However, they are concerned they do not get enough or the right information from the local press. So... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3271883/australian-media-needs-know-asia-does-not-just-revolve-around-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3271883/australian-media-needs-know-asia-does-not-just-revolve-around-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 02:30:09 +0000 While tourism, resources and education usually dominate trade between Asia and Australia, a surprising new trade has been flourishing under the radar in recent years – the booming business of prefabricated “prefab” housing and building materials. Though the numbers may pale in comparison to the billions of dollars in two-way trade between the regions, Australian imports of prefab goods from Asia have been steadily climbing year over year. Chinese prefab exports dominate the market, followed by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3271180/prefab-paradise-how-china-made-homes-could-solve-australias-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3271180/prefab-paradise-how-china-made-homes-could-solve-australias-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 01:30:18 +0000 Many of the refugees previously detained in Papua New Guinea and left behind by the Australian government are at imminent risk of death, Australia’s leading asylum seeker support group has warned. In a new audit report published on Friday, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) said one in five of the 47 refugees still in Papua New Guinea “were so unwell their lives were at imminent risk” and that they needed urgent medical care and immediate evacuation. The ASRC report was released to mark 11... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271182/australia-urged-act-refugee-health-crisis-intensifies-papua-new-guinea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271182/australia-urged-act-refugee-health-crisis-intensifies-papua-new-guinea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 02:30:10 +0000 Australia’s waning commitment to Asian language education is jeopardising its regional influence, academics and analysts warn – with participation in language courses plummeting over recent decades, despite policies meant to boost proficiency. “Languages study has continued to deteriorate at alarming levels”, Australian education experts Louisa Field, Rachel Wilson and Ken Cruickshank revealed in a recent paper. This is in spite of broad recognition that mastering regional tongues is vital for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3270215/australias-monolingual-mind-widens-its-isolation-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3270215/australias-monolingual-mind-widens-its-isolation-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2024 01:30:16 +0000 The planned Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is more likely to succeed than previous joint ventures between the city state and Malaysia due to stronger bilateral government support and a desire by businesses to “internationalise” closer to home, proponents of the project say. However, investors say the JS-SEZ will need to address serious logistical challenges, such as congested border crossings and lengthy permit processes, to reach its full potential. “This isn’t just another... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3270131/singapore-malaysia-border-economic-zone-potential-game-changer-hurdles-abound-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3270131/singapore-malaysia-border-economic-zone-potential-game-changer-hurdles-abound-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 01:10:49 +0000 Singapore’s S$389 billion (US$288 billion) sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings has outlined a resilient, diversified investment strategy for its 50th year of operations, focused on long-term plays in China and key sectors like healthcare and agriculture. In its annual review this week, the fund announced its net portfolio had increased by S$7 billion (US$5.18 billion), cementing its status as the world’s 11th largest sovereign wealth fund, according to Global SWF, a platform that tracks such... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3269995/singapores-us288-billion-temasek-stays-bullish-china-eye-us-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3269995/singapores-us288-billion-temasek-stays-bullish-china-eye-us-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:00:14 +0000 The resignation of Australia’s first hijab-wearing Senator Fatima Payman from the ruling Labor Party has laid bare the country’s deep-seated Islamophobia, as the young politician faced a torrent of intimidation and bullying from her own colleagues over her principled vote to recognise Palestinian statehood. Payman’s defiant stance against her party’s official position put her on a collision course with the Labor government, which does not recognise Palestinian sovereignty but supports a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269814/australias-islamophobia-problem-exposed-muslim-senators-resignation-over-palestine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269814/australias-islamophobia-problem-exposed-muslim-senators-resignation-over-palestine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:13 +0000 Australia has more place names that contain the racial slur “Chinaman” than any other country with significant Asian migration, new research reveals, with Australians from all walks of life saying it makes them uncomfortable and normalises discrimination. There are 253 place names containing the words “Chinaman” or “Chinamen” in Australia, think tank Per Capita found, far outnumbering other nations with a “similar history of anti-Chinese legislation and exclusion”. Laurie Pearcey, an Australian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3269365/australias-chinaman-place-names-spark-racism-debate-calls-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3269365/australias-chinaman-place-names-spark-racism-debate-calls-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 01:00:14 +0000 Freed Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was imprisoned in Beijing for three years, has urged Australians to avoid taking simplistic or extreme views about China. The former anchor at Chinese state-run TV network CGTN said there were two sides of China and that both it and Australia must engage and understand each other, she said in an interview with the Australia-China Relations Institute in Sydney this week. The Chinese-born journalist said she would consider going back to China but only if... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269383/australian-journalist-cheng-lei-says-china-bashing-worrying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269383/australian-journalist-cheng-lei-says-china-bashing-worrying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:59:29 +0000 Anxious consumers in Vietnam and Thailand are rushing to buy gold – a sign of Asia’s mounting alarm, analysts say, over currency devaluations against the US dollar, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty. Visible queues of buyers waiting to snap up chunks of the yellow metal have persisted outside banks in the Southeast Asian nations for months, in scenes that underscore a growing sense of economic and geopolitical instability rippling through the region. “What they are trying to do is to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3268637/gold-buying-frenzy-grips-vietnam-and-thailand-economic-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3268637/gold-buying-frenzy-grips-vietnam-and-thailand-economic-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 04:00:13 +0000 For many of us diehard journalists, Julian Assange’s release from jail this week might have reawakened the journalistic fire in our bellies. The WikiLeaks founder spent the last 12 years holed up in an embassy and a maximum-security prison for doing what journalists could only dream of – telling the truth by exposing the lies of governments, institutions, establishments and those in power. Washington has pursued the Australian since he released in 2010 classified documents that revealed US abuse... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3268292/assange-walks-free-multifaceted-threats-journalism-and-truth-are-bigger-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3268292/assange-walks-free-multifaceted-threats-journalism-and-truth-are-bigger-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 02:30:08 +0000 In the midst of Laos’ runaway inflation, one enterprising farm manager has transformed her workplace in Vientiane into an unlikely tourist hotspot. As well as selling rice and vegetables, Somchit Phankham conducts guided tours and offers courses on cookery and ceramic-making at Panyanivej Organic Farm. Inflation hit a record 40 per cent in Laos last year and continues to run hot, at around 25.8 per cent as of last month. A weak local currency – the kip – is fuelling elevated prices, after losing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3266685/laos-southeast-asias-highest-inflation-forces-some-flee-others-get-creative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3266685/laos-southeast-asias-highest-inflation-forces-some-flee-others-get-creative?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:13 +0000 Australia’s export of weapons to Israel amid the Israel-Gaza war has sparked controversy, with recent senate hearings confirming Canberra has issued new permits for military equipment exports to Israel since the start of the crisis. There are also existing permits that allowed Australian manufacturers to supply weapons parts for the manufacture of F-35 jets. Israel has used F-35 jets in its Gaza offensive. Critics said Canberra’s actions could contradict its legal obligations under international... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266529/australias-arms-export-comes-under-scrutiny-canberra-complicit-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266529/australias-arms-export-comes-under-scrutiny-canberra-complicit-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:27 +0000 Ahead of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s historic visit to Australia this week, a new poll shows that despite Australians’ lingering wariness of the Chinese government, most recognise the importance of maintaining a robust relationship with China. In a similar spirit, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that the meeting with his Chinese counterpart would span discussions on panda diplomacy – in particular the continued loan of two animals to Adelaide Zoo – as well as the recent... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266246/li-qiang-visits-persistent-duality-australias-china-thinking-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3266246/li-qiang-visits-persistent-duality-australias-china-thinking-show?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:00:17 +0000 Fuelled by a fearmongering immigration scare campaign, Australia’s looming federal election could become a referendum on stopping foreigners, experts warn. But the political rhetoric does not match reality, they say, and further migration cuts may jeopardise the economy. An intense debate on whether Australia – a popular immigration destination in the Asia-Pacific that’s been hit with rising living costs, rents and home prices – was letting too many people into the country, kicked off last month... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265841/australia-racist-intense-migration-debate-sets-tone-2025-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265841/australia-racist-intense-migration-debate-sets-tone-2025-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:13 +0000 More Australians see China as a “best friend in Asia” this year, but trust remains “low” despite improving bilateral relations, according to a new poll by the Lowy Institute think tank, with results also indicating concerns with India’s human rights record. Japan topped the “best friend in Asia” rankings within the poll for the third year in a row, with 42 per cent surveyed choosing Japan over Singapore and Indonesia, which were in second and third position respectively. While Japan, Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265177/china-best-friend-asia-more-australians-trust-still-low-india-also-concern-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265177/china-best-friend-asia-more-australians-trust-still-low-india-also-concern-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:30:27 +0000 China’s growing influence and ability to act as a peace broker took centre stage at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where regional leaders and defence chiefs also pushed for a renewed commitment to the global rules-based order. Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen summed up the mood on Sunday, the final day of the three-day security forum, when he said the system of global governance in place since the end of World War II “guarantees the security and survival of large nations... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265068/chinas-growing-influence-shapes-talks-singapores-shangri-la-dialogue-spotlight-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265068/chinas-growing-influence-shapes-talks-singapores-shangri-la-dialogue-spotlight-rules-based-order?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 10:30:14 +0000 Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles was confident Australia had a legal right to be in the Yellow Sea, where it had an aerial confrontation with China last month, but said the incident did not detract from “peace” between the two nations. Speaking to This Week in Asia at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, Marles also met his Chinese counterpart, new defence chief Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the dialogue on the same day, using the meeting to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265010/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-says-peace-china-remains-despite-yellow-sea-military-skirmish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265010/shangri-la-dialogue-australia-says-peace-china-remains-despite-yellow-sea-military-skirmish?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 09:59:57 +0000 Thailand’s universal free healthcare system may be the envy of many in the Asia-Pacific region, but it is overworking staff and doctors, and forcing medical workers to leave the industry as entrepreneurs turn to technology for solutions to ease the caseload burden. With little triaging of illnesses or minimal health education for the public, hospitals and clinics are swamped with patients with minor illnesses who severely tax an under-resourced public medical system, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3264046/thailands-free-healthcare-system-overworking-its-doctors-can-ai-alleviate-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3264046/thailands-free-healthcare-system-overworking-its-doctors-can-ai-alleviate-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2024 01:00:12 +0000 Just a few years ago, Australia could not get enough of China. Today, even Australia’s research efforts with China have plummeted to record lows. The problem was so chronic that earlier this month, 60 academics penned a letter to Australia’s main funding research agency, the Australian Research Council, saying the production of core China research in Australia is in crisis. They cite the Australian Academy of Humanities, whose report last year flagged little support for China-related research at... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3263833/china-australia-ties-fray-should-canberra-keep-its-friends-close-its-enemies-closer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3263833/china-australia-ties-fray-should-canberra-keep-its-friends-close-its-enemies-closer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 02:00:10 +0000 As Australian and New Zealand planes begin evacuating citizens from the embattled Pacific island of New Caledonia on Tuesday after a week of riots, France will continue to come under pressure over its refusal to decolonise the territory, analysts say. Violent protests broke out in the island territory northeast of Australia last week after Paris extended voting rights to French people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years or more, thus potentially diluting the indigenous Kanak people’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263541/new-caledonia-riots-inequalities-lack-indigenous-voice-expose-failures-french-democratic-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263541/new-caledonia-riots-inequalities-lack-indigenous-voice-expose-failures-french-democratic-system?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:10 +0000 Anyone walking into the studio and shop of artists Choo Huang Ming and Andrew Gay in Malaysia’s Penang could be forgiven for thinking they had entered a wonderland of miniature models. Lifelike dioramas – miniature models replicating scenes or events – complete with scaled-down aircraft and tiny armoured tanks line the shelves of their outlet, “World Hobby Miniatures”, located in the Pulau Tikus neighbourhood of Georgetown. Think Barry’s model made from taxidermied mice in the film Dinner for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3263145/mini-models-k-pop-collectibles-asias-kidults-redefine-market-toys-and-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3263145/mini-models-k-pop-collectibles-asias-kidults-redefine-market-toys-and-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 06:00:19 +0000 Australia has ceased its business visa programme, including the so-called “golden visa”, as part of ongoing migration policy reforms revealed in the country’s latest budget. A new innovation visa programme to “attract exceptionally talented migrants” will instead be introduced at the end of the year. Australia will also reduce migration intake by 110,000 places over the next four financial years and cap the number of international students. While they were prepared for the worst after hearing an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262829/australia-stops-golden-visa-scheme-aims-draw-exceptionally-talented-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262829/australia-stops-golden-visa-scheme-aims-draw-exceptionally-talented-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2024 00:30:13 +0000 Australian police charged three building contractors on Tuesday for allegedly stealing copper cables worth more than A$2.5 million (US$1.6 million) as soaring metal prices and a looming supply shortage fuel a lucrative black market for the commodity. The defendants were accused of selling the pilfered materials to unauthorised scrap metal merchants since February. Police also found bundles of stolen copper cables at scrapyards and other locations in the greater Sydney area. The theft case... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3262659/australia-clamps-down-copper-thefts-dizzying-rally-powers-metal-new-oil-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3262659/australia-clamps-down-copper-thefts-dizzying-rally-powers-metal-new-oil-status?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 10:08:55 +0000 The growing weakness of Myanmar’s military junta has created opportunities for international actors to bring about lasting stability, according to a new report, despite global responses to the civil war being ineffective so far. “Outrage is not a policy: coming to terms with Myanmar’s fragmented state”, published on Sunday by the Lowy Institute think tank, argues that while the combination of sanctions and humanitarian assistance used by foreign governments so far was a reasonable starting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262551/myanmars-civil-war-rages-despite-whack-mole-sanctions-scant-aid-what-more-can-be-done?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262551/myanmars-civil-war-rages-despite-whack-mole-sanctions-scant-aid-what-more-can-be-done?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:27 +0000 In the four years that global IT consultancy Waterstons has allowed its 20 Sydney-based staff to work whenever and wherever they want, only one employee’s performance has suffered. The UK-based business, which has around 300 employees worldwide, first adopted “flexi-working” practices some 30 years ago – and also allows its employees to take as much annual leave as they need. “If you treat your people like adults, that’s how they will behave,” Waterstons’ Asia-Pacific Managing Director Charlie... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3262262/work-home-looks-here-stay-australia-new-zealand-its-not-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3262262/work-home-looks-here-stay-australia-new-zealand-its-not-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:47 +0000 A recent aerial confrontation between an Australian military helicopter and a Chinese fighter jet in the Yellow Sea has sparked fresh tensions, but stabilising bilateral ties between both sides are expected to soothe any potential escalation, analysts say. The incident highlighted the higher frequency of such encounters as geopolitical uncertainty grows, analysts say, suggesting this could shed light on China’s military approach to preventing mid-air collisions, especially after a fatal 2001... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262071/china-australia-ties-unlikely-deteriorate-over-yellow-sea-military-skirmish-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262071/china-australia-ties-unlikely-deteriorate-over-yellow-sea-military-skirmish-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 May 2024 02:00:28 +0000 An overhaul of Australia’s foreign investment policies, which has resurfaced scrutiny of Chinese interests in the country, and news of an expulsion of suspected Indian spies have cast the spotlight on Canberra’s national security. Analysts say Australia’s tighter investment rules were not surprising since the country has to protect critical assets, but collaboration with China, especially in sectors such as green energy, would be unavoidable. Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3261231/australias-national-security-spotlight-it-steps-screening-foreign-investments-sensitive-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3261231/australias-national-security-spotlight-it-steps-screening-foreign-investments-sensitive-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 00:00:20 +0000 The power of the daigou, personal shoppers for Chinese consumers, was on full display in a recent class-action lawsuit launched against the a2 Milk company, one of New Zealand’s biggest milk exporters. Disgruntled shareholders sued the listed company after its share price sank heavily in 2020, claiming it had misled them about the loss of daigou sales. The daigou game: how China’s professional shoppers operate For a2 and other exporters of baby milk formula, daigou play a key role in helping... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3260563/daigou-were-once-make-or-break-australian-brands-china-where-are-they-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3260563/daigou-were-once-make-or-break-australian-brands-china-where-are-they-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Apr 2024 04:00:17 +0000 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to be quite the hero this week. In a public spat between the PM and Elon Musk, the world’s second richest man, the PM called the Tesla CEO on Tuesday an “arrogant billionaire” who “puts his ego over common decency”. It is rare to see politicians and powerful CEOs – many of whom are friends with each other – come to blows so openly. But Albanese was incensed because Musk’s X – formerly known as Twitter – would not obey an Australian court order... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3260344/australia-pm-anthony-albanese-reels-elon-musk-over-harmful-content-time-cast-net-wider?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3260344/australia-pm-anthony-albanese-reels-elon-musk-over-harmful-content-time-cast-net-wider?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:30:25 +0000 As reports of stabbings in Sydney’s Bondi Junction started trickling in last Saturday, Bondi resident JJ Chen prayed for the victims but also found herself hoping that the perpetrator was not from a minority group. An Asian-Australian, Chen knows too well how quickly blame for the crime will fall on migrants and “non-white foreigners”. The man who stabbed and killed six people in the popular Westfield Bondi Junction mall turned out to be 40-year-old Queensland native Joel Cauchi, who reportedly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3259690/sydney-stabbing-incidents-stoke-islamophobia-antisemitism-social-tensions-australia-unravel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3259690/sydney-stabbing-incidents-stoke-islamophobia-antisemitism-social-tensions-australia-unravel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 04:00:32 +0000 When communication specialist Katie Howe moved to Wellington from Canberra two years ago, she was excited by the prospect of expanding her business in a new market. But instead of a vibrant market full of opportunities in New Zealand’s capital, the founder of Jacaranda Communications found businesses spooked by government policy changes, including substantial public-sector job cuts. Indeed, Wellington is in the throes of a job-axing blitz. The new conservative coalition government has made good... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3258901/new-zealands-public-job-cuts-cast-more-gloom-recession-hit-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3258901/new-zealands-public-job-cuts-cast-more-gloom-recession-hit-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:21 +0000 It will be entirely up to Australia to decide the use of its Aukus nuclear-powered submarines, said the commander of US military forces in the Pacific, after a senior US official raised eyebrows last week by suggesting the vessels could be deployed in a potential war over Taiwan. “I think that will be Australia’s call, how they decide to utilise their operational units when and if the time comes,” Admiral John Aquilino said when asked to confirm US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3258425/australia-will-decide-use-its-aukus-submarines-us-pacific-commander-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3258425/australia-will-decide-use-its-aukus-submarines-us-pacific-commander-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 23:30:21 +0000 Like many entrepreneurial Southeast Asians, 35-year-old Malaysian businessman Lee Zhern Je left a stable job to bet on himself. In 2015, he resigned from a major consulting firm in Kuala Lumpur to start Epic Unicorn, his own digital marketing company. Inspired by his self-made father, Lee and his business partner turned their IT skills into a business – but survival dictated that it became profitable quickly. “I needed to be able to sustain my lifestyle. So I couldn’t go into start-ups that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3258014/malaysia-awash-profitable-start-ups-so-why-arent-investors-interested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3258014/malaysia-awash-profitable-start-ups-so-why-arent-investors-interested?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 01:30:15 +0000