"I'm definitely not on an anti-China crusade," Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, told the Nikkei Asian Review in Hong Kong on Sept. 12. "I have tremendous respect for China." (Getty Images)
Economy

Bannon: Trump right to pressure both Koreas

Former chief strategist urges more attention to Chinese investments, tech transfers

14 September 2017
Indonesia was one of the Southeast Asian countries to see an uptick in its August PMI.
Economy

ASEAN manufacturing improves on rising global trade

Economists warn the uptick will be slow to boost the broader economy

14 September 2017
Motorbikes remain the most common form of transport in Ho Chi Minh City given the lack of public transport alternatives. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Capital shortage slows Vietnam infrastructure projects

Private sector seeks incentives, faster investor processing

14 September 2017
Indonesia was one of the Southeast Asian countries to see an uptick in its August PMI.
Economy

ASEAN manufacturing improves on rising global trade

Economists warn the uptick will be slow to boost the broader economy

13 September 2017
The latest round of RCEP negotiations was held in Manila. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry/Kyodo)
Economy

Countries grapple with perplexing RCEP puzzle

Lack of clear incentives clouds outlook for the next big Pacific trade deal

12 September 2017
ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh walk in front of flags as they attend the opening ceremony of the 49th Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers and Related Meetings in Manila on Sept. 7.
Economy

With RCEP deal unlikely this year, ministers settle for 'realistic' goals

Failing to find common ground, countries look to October round

11 September 2017
Opening ceremony of the 49th Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers and Related Meetings in Manila, Philippines on Thursday Sept. 7, 2017.
Economy

ASEAN to cut non-tariff measures 10% by 2020

Grouping aims to address investors' concerns on trade barriers

8 September 2017
LPG tanks at a PV Gas distribution station
Economy

PetroVietnam to cut its stake in PV Gas to 65% from 95%

More state-owned companies are to go on the block by 2020

8 September 2017
A second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge is expected to open in 2019 at the latest.
Economy

Mekong region racing to bolster cross-border logistics

Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and cohorts build infrastructure, lower barriers

7 September 2017
Ships lie at anchor in front of a refinery on Singapore's Bukom Island.
Economy

Southeast Asian ports thirst for more seaborne trade

Lack of adequate transport infrastructure crippling region's competitiveness

7 September 2017
The flag of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, on the far right, stands with those of the bloc's 10 members.
Economy

ASEAN economic ministers move to accelerate trade talks

Discussions to focus on RCEP as states struggle to find common ground

6 September 2017
Officials from RCEP members meet in the Japanese city of Kobe on Feb. 27. Negotiations, while ongoing, remain fraught.
Economy

RCEP hits snags on continued discord over tariffs

Members to abandon goal of having rival to TPP this year

6 September 2017
A street vendor sells beverages to motorists during rush hours traffic in Jakarta, Indonesia June 14, 2017.
Economy

Informal jobs sector both a blessing and curse in Southeast Asia

Unemployment rates low but income growth slowing

5 September 2017
The chief TPP negotiator for Japan, Kazuyoshi Umemoto, at left, speaks at a meeting Monday in Australia.
Economy

'TPP 11' to freeze drug data protection demanded by US

Remaining members thrashing out details to revive trade pact

31 August 2017
A jumble of power cables in Phnom Penh: Cambodia's banking sector is highly fragmented, with 36 commercial banks and 69 microfinance providers.
FT Confidential Research

Banking in Cambodia: the money keeps flowing

Strong growth continues but potential risks loom

29 August 2017
Vietnam's Bang Linh is seeing more children enroll in its swimming classes.
Economy

Household spending on children in Vietnam surges

Rising incomes prompt parents to fork out for goods, extracurricular activities

22 August 2017
Infrastructure projects in the Philippines, such as a subway system to alleviate Manila's notorious congestion, are helping to underpin growth.
Economy

Exports power Southeast Asia's economic growth

Large infrastructure projects also sustain recent upswing

22 August 2017
A worker in Kuala Lumpur prepares a car for transport. Minimum wage hikes benefit labor and drive consumption but can scare off foreign employers.
Economy

Southeast Asian workers press for big minimum wage hikes

Malaysia, Myanmar unions seek raises of 50% or more as economies heat up

18 August 2017
The official ceremony for VPBank’s listing on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange on Aug. 17.
Economy

Vietnam's VPBank lists on Ho Chi Minh City stock exchange

The country's most profitable retail bank targeting foreign investors

17 August 2017
Smartphones help commuters pass the time at a train station in Jakarta.
Economy

Making the digital age work for ASEAN

The OECD is helping close internet access gaps and foster vital skills

14 August 2017
Massive traffic jams like this are a daily occurrence in Jakarta. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

ASEAN is looking good, but now looking up to China and India

Even with solid growth through 2050, region will still be dwarfed by two giants

11 August 2017