https://www.scmp.com/rss/521588/feed Hamzah Rifaat is a visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C. and an author for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Sada Journal. He has provided expert analysis on Asian affairs for the Diplomat and the Atomic Reporters. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hamzah Rifaat Hamzah Rifaat Western analysts often frame automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as an existential threat to workers, with the risk of impending unemployment potentially triggering economic unrest. However, 74 per cent of all industrial robots deployed last year were in Asia, where they do not appear to be replacing workers but are instead redefining roles amid innovative modes for production and higher efficiency. As digital factories become ubiquitous, countries such as Vietnam and China are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335106/does-ais-rise-have-mean-job-losses-east-asia-tells-different-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335106/does-ais-rise-have-mean-job-losses-east-asia-tells-different-story?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Hamzah Rifaat Hamzah Rifaat After years of rapid expansion, Chinese carmaker BYD saw sales fall for the first time in over five years in the third quarter of this year on an annual basis. Amid fierce competition at home, BYD’s vehicle sales in September alone fell by 5.5 per cent year on year. This comes after a 30 per cent profit drop in the second quarter. The company’s sales and profit drops reflect the fortunes of many other Chinese carmakers as domestic demand for electric vehicles slows. But what does this mean for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328159/how-china-engineering-asias-rise-worlds-leading-ev-factory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328159/how-china-engineering-asias-rise-worlds-leading-ev-factory?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Hamzah Rifaat Hamzah Rifaat There is no sign that US President Donald Trump is going to budge on his tariff policy. The 90-day pause on his “Liberation Day” tariffs does not preclude his penchant for protectionism or punishing countries for adopting what he sees as unfair trade practices. His latest round of tariffs, which is set to take effect on August 1, bodes ill for East Asia. Japan and South Korea – two of Washington’s closest allies in Asia – will see their exports hit with a 25 per cent tariff, while Southeast... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318613/how-chinas-pragmatic-balancing-puts-it-asean-pole-position?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318613/how-chinas-pragmatic-balancing-puts-it-asean-pole-position?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:30:08 +0000