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Inside Out & Outside In

Inside Out & Outside In
In wide-ranging columns appearing twice a week, David Dodwell, executive director of the Hong Kong-Apec Trade Policy Group, strives to understand and describe the distinctive characteristics at the heart of Hong Kong's continuing competitive advantages. It promises to be a fascinating journey as he seeks to understand and describe the forces that have shaped and are changing Hong Kong, and the role it is playing for China and in the region as we move steadily closer to 2047.
US President Donald Trump, left, and President Xi Jinping pose for a photo at the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Opinion | 3 reasons Xi-Trump summit won’t be a waste of time for China

Despite current tensions and dim prospects for meaningful progress, Beijing should still roll out the red carpet.

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Trade

Opinion | As Trump wrecks trade, WTO meeting in Cameroon is a show of defiance

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Trade

Outside In | As Iran war escalates, the US ramps up its trade war

China economy

Opinion | China’s energy transition proves a boon in the Iran crisis

China is expected to face no significant disruption but as the ‘two sessions’ open in Beijing, energy security is staying a top focus.

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Fire and smoke rise from the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by debris from an intercepted drone, according to the Fujairah media office, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 4, as Iran launched retaliatory attacks across the region. Photo: EPA
Artificial intelligence

Outside In | Everyone agrees that AI is big. No one agrees on what comes next

Job fears, environmental strain and security threats are fuelling the botlash, yet experts remain divided over its net impact – and our ability to contain the risks.

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Trade

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

Accounting for a significant share of world trade, Europe and Asia are far more decisive players in the fast-changing globalised economy.

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United States

Outside In | Will tourism slump force Trump to rethink his unilateral approach?

The US president’s policies have antagonised many the world over and may hit attendance at mega-events like the Fifa World Cup, with political repercussions.

People enjoy the beach as well as the Hollywood Beach boardwalk on February 10 in Hollywood, Florida. Hollywood, also known as the “Quebec of the South,” has seen fewer French-Canadian tourists in 2026 due to recent tensions between the US and Canada. Photo: Getty Images / AFP
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

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

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

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United States

Outside In | Gradually, then suddenly, the world is waking up to the US threat

Middle powers are pivoting to Beijing and hedging with new partners as China’s economic displacement of the US rapidly expands.

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United States

Outside In | Why Trump’s Davos farce may come to be seen as a watershed

Whatever his motivations, he’s alarmed allies and made clear the old order based on a benign US is gone, even as his popularity slips at home.

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US President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace charter announcement at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22. Photo: AP
China society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong politics

Outside In | To root out corruption, Hong Kong fire probe must go beyond scapegoats

Public procurement failures often reflect government responsibility, and Hong Kong’s fire investigation must confront that reality.

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War and conflict

Outside In | 2025 was the year of denial. What now?

Despite the threat of wars, tariffs, climate change and AI, normality has persisted. But it can only be a matter of time before such contradictions explode.

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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Outside In | As the US pursues unilateralism, China faces challenging task as Apec host

China’s return as Apec chair is an opportunity to show that both the organisation and its message of multilateralism are as relevant as ever.

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US President Donald Trump, left, and President Xi Jinping speak as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy

Outside In | Six years on, are we better prepared for the next pandemic?

Preparedness plans remain a work in progress while health budgets have been sliced by urgent demands and US withdrawal weakens global coordination.

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A woman walks past the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, Britain, on November 20. Photo: EPA
United States

Outside In | It’s an expensive Christmas for Americans thanks to Trump’s tariffs

It’s been years since the US president extolled the virtues of trade wars: how much longer before he recognises tariffs harm the US economy?

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Hong Kong economy

Outside In | 3 overlooked economic strengths that will serve Hong Kong well

The city’s low debt, absence of a need to spend on defence and reliance on services are huge comparative advantages in the world today.

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United States

Outside In | Trump’s G20 boycott sums up a year of US attacks on multilateralism

Despite the duress, most countries clearly do not prefer Trumpian unilateralism. But while multilateralism is not dead, it is limping badly.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to media aboard Air Force One on November 14, while in flight from Washington to West Palm Beach International Airport. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Climate change

Outside In | Takeaway from Cop30: climate action needs to be up close and local

A focus on adaptation means a pivot to action on floods, typhoons, heatstroke deaths, wildfire damage – issues of immediate survival.

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United States

Outside In | On giving the White House a big beautiful ballroom, Trump may be right

Given past renovations, Trump’s ballroom hardly sets a precedent. Besides, why should the most powerful nation on Earth make do with a tent?

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United States

Outside In | Trump’s unilateralism in Asia makes ‘world minus one’ clear

While the US president’s trip to the region coincided with multilateral summits, he was clearly more interested in bilateral deals.

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US President Donald Trump looks on as people wave Malaysian national flags before he departs on Air Force One from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on October 27. Photo: AFP
Tesla

Outside In | Elon Musk’s proposed payout shows far reach of the ‘genius myth’

While the company might have its reasons for the proposed US$1 trillion package, there are less controversial ways to ensure future growth.

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Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, on March 22, 2022. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Rare earths

Outside In | Trump may be realising he has less leverage over China than he thought

The past week has provided a rare insight into the fudging and bullying that goes on behind the closed doors of high-stakes trade talks.

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Diplomacy

Outside In | Trump has the megaphone but WTO deal shows multilateralism not dead

After 25 years of disagreement and procrastination, WTO members have agreed to ratify a deal to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies.

Northern Metropolis

Outside In | To speed up Northern Metropolis construction, get in bamboo scaffolders

Bamboo scaffolders offer speed, cost efficiency and sustainability. And the boom in demand will give the ancient craft a much-needed lifeline.

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A scaffolding worker working on Causeway Place at Great George Street, in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on April 7. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

Outside In | Big bucks in government procurement makes it a honeypot for corruption

Transparency, good audits, appeal channels and channels for whistle-blowers might provide some checks – but never a foolproof solution.

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Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu (centre) chairs the first meeting of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime on August 21. Photo: ISD
China trade

Outside In | Why Global South holds winning trade cards despite Trump’s bluster

Outside the US, new consumer markets have been gathering critical mass as their populations have grown and incomes have risen.

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Banking & finance

Outside In | Why ending US dollar peg isn’t the answer Hong Kong needs

The dollar peg still does yeoman’s work for the city, while promoting the yuan in trade finance and settlement would enhance what it has built.

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