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The View

The View
Daily analysis of the major talking points in the worlds of business and investing with a focus on implications for doing both in mainland China and its key financing hub - Hong Kong.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
A protester holding a cardboard cut-out of South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol takes part in a demonstration calling for his ouster, outside the National Assembly in Seoul, on December 8. Photo: AFP
Asia housing and property

The View | Asia’s property markets are shrugging off political risks

Despite the prominence of domestic and geopolitical strife, it is policy that ultimately matters most to markets in Hong Kong, Seoul, India and Japan.

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Thailand

The View | What ‘China problem’? Thai tourism post-Covid is in good health

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China property

The View | China’s housing market crisis is still its biggest economic headwind

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China economy

The View | China’s property prospects aren’t all doom and gloom

Despite lagging investment, mainland Chinese and Hong Kong real estate markets still have unappreciated long-term growth opportunities.

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A poster in the window of a real estate agency in Fortress Hill, Hong Kong, shows deeply discounted house prices, on July 29. Photo: Eugene Lee
Asia housing and property

The View | Why Seoul stands out among Asia’s top property markets

South Korea’s capital is in an enviable position as its office sector remains strong and its living sector holds considerable promise.

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China economy

The View | China should make its economy work for its youth

As China’s Gen Z opt for more experience-based consumer choices, policymakers must step in to help them support the traditional economy too.

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Australia

The View | How Australia’s housing crisis opens door for eager Asian investors

The factors in Australia’s affordability crisis can be seen elsewhere in Asia, making it important for investors not to overlook their own markets.

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A banner displays a picture of new houses with construction in the background in the Caddens suburb of Sydney, Australia, on September 28. While Australia is not the only major Asian economy facing a housing crisis, it is among the most severe. Photo: Bloomberg
Hong Kong economy

The View | How Hong Kong can lead the way on sustainable textiles

While no longer a manufacturing base for textiles, Hong Kong’s edge in R&D can innovate eco-friendly solutions for the industry.

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Banking & finance

Opinion | Hong Kong’s stock market has finally found its footing

Mainland China’s economic stimulus measures have boosted much-needed investor confidence in both its own and Hong Kong’s financial sectors.

Indonesia

The View | Indonesia and Philippines must clean up their nickel mines

A US report on worker exploitation adds urgency to the call for reform of an industry already battling accusations of environmental abuse.

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Nickel slag waste is disposed of at a temporary storage area of a nickel mine in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, on August 2. While nickel holds great value, we must remember that vibrant forests, unique species and rich aquatic ecosystems are priceless treasures. Photo: AFP
China economy

The View | China’s latest stimulus measures still don’t go far enough

Mortgage rate cuts and reserve requirement reductions may provide short-term relief but they are no substitutes for boosting domestic demand.

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A woman shops at a supermarket in Beijing, on August 9. To rebalance China’s economy, a greater share of national income must be transferred to the household sector. Photo: EPA-EFE
Global South

The View | More than costs, geopolitics is driving new wave of globalisation

Protectionism won’t bring back lost jobs. It will just push companies to move production to places where supply chains are intact even if costs are not the lowest.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Why Fed’s rate cut won’t fix what ails Hong Kong or Singapore

Despite their many differences, Hong Kong and Singapore’s property markets both show that a monetary easing cycle is not a panacea.

Climate change

The View | How China is becoming the Saudi Arabia of renewables

China’s declining demand for fossil fuels and increased clean-energy capacity could usher in a new shift in global wealth distribution.

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A worker checks photovoltaic modules at a company in Wuwei, Gansu province. Photo: Xinhua
Asia housing and property

The View | Why it’s good news Asia’s property markets are more transparent

While multiple factors drive market booms, the advances in real estate transparency in Asia are significant and should not be downplayed.

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The K11 Atelier building on King’s Road in Hong Kong’s Tsat Tsz Mui neighbourhood on September 2. Property markets across Asia are seeing benefits from marked improvements in their transparency. Photo: Bloomberg
China-Africa relations

The View | Why China is much more to Africa than development ATM

Where once China was a source of infrastructure and financing, Africa will now look to Beijing for knowledge and guidance on industrialising.

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Taiwan

The View | Why Taiwan is struggling to curb its tech-fuelled housing boom

Housing has risen to the top of Taiwan’s policy agenda, but differences between the government and central bank are slowing progress.

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Banking & finance

The View | Global stock sell-off in August carries a warning we should heed

The meltdown proved temporary, but the causes for a more devastating outcome will line up if and when US employment and consumption begin to wobble.

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A shopper carries bags in the Herald Square neighbourhood of New York, US, on August 29. Photo: Bloomberg
India

The View | Why India’s property market is going from strength to strength

Lower office rents, a consumption boom and big gains in market transparency and liquidity are driving India ahead while others are lagging.

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Asia housing and property

The View | South Korea, Australia show rate cuts are no cure-all for property markets

South Korea and Australia provide a cautionary tale of the limits of monetary policy when other factors also influence the outlook for residential property.

Currencies

Macroscope | Those seeking a weaker US dollar should be careful what they wish for

As geopolitical confrontation deepens, the dollar could be heading for a steep fall without any outside help, while gold continues to rise.

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Gold bars are stacked in a vault at the US Mint in West Point, New York. Central banks in several emerging economies have stepped up their purchases of gold in recent years in an attempt to mitigate the effects of US geoeconomic decision-making. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

The View | Central banks need to communicate policy more effectively

The ability of central banks to pursue their main goals will depend increasingly on pursuing reforms in how they think and function.

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European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda and US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell admire the view at the Jackson Hole economic symposium in Moran, Wyoming, on August 25, 2023. Photo: Bloomberg
Asia housing and property

The View | Why Asia’s rental landscape isn’t as shaky as some might fear

The shifts in rental markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok have shared themes which need to be put into proper perspective.

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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The View | East Asia’s Olympics results are a testament to a changing world

While ostensibly a showcase of athletic prowess, the Olympics reveal deeper socioeconomic dynamics at play globally.

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Japan

The View | Why messy end to negative interest rates won’t dent Japan’s appeal

Japan’s real estate industry is not immune to the fallout from ending ultra-loose policy, but its market’s appeal must not be underestimated.

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The sun goes down over homes in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, on August 4. While Japan’s real estate market has its issues, the country’s unique strengths and lack of a viable alternative in Asia will continue to bolster its appeal to investors. Photo: Bloomberg
Singapore

The View | On Singapore’s residential property market slowdown, look at the big picture

Evidence points to a slowdown in Singapore’s residential property market, but a normalisation of activity is being misconstrued as a crisis.

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Cars go past residential buildings in Singapore on January 3, 2023. Assessment of the performance of Singapore’s residential property market must devote particular attention to the public housing system. Photo: Bloomberg
United States

The View | How much do policymakers affect the economy? Maybe less than you think

Examining US economic figures while allowing for the effects of global events suggest luck and legacy matter as much as good policy.

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Indonesia

The View | Prabowo needs foreign allies and funding to realise Indonesia vision

Foreign investors need not fear a Prabowo administration that will be business-friendly and focused on an inclusive kind of nationalism.

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