Economy

Singapore's economy is recovering from COVID-19 but faces other pressures, including the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Economy

Singapore tightens monetary policy to cool inflation; Q2 GDP up 4.8%

Annual growth projection kept at 3% to 5% amid Ukraine headwinds

14 July 2022
Bottles of bulk cooking oil provided by the State Logistics Agency at a distribution point in Jakarta on May 20: The prices of basic commodities have been rising since last year. 
Opinion

Rising food and energy prices threaten Indonesia's political stability

Rest of the world will not be immune from inflation surge

14 July 2022
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Kyiv last month shortly before a trip to Moscow.
International relations

Indonesia's Jokowi set to visit Japan this month

China and South Korea trips also in the works as Ukraine conflict hangs over G-20

14 July 2022
Shoppers ride an escalator outside a Bangkok mall on July 5. Although the government has relaxed COVID-related mandates, many Thais continue to wear masks in crowded spaces.
Coronavirus

Thailand's misleading COVID numbers cast a shadow on reopening

Health experts warn of undercounted cases after restrictions lifted

12 July 2022
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her opening speech during the G-20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali.
International relations

G-20 ministers debate food, energy prices as global divide worsens

Russia's invasion of Ukraine casts pall over international cooperation

8 July 2022
Foreign ministers of the Group of 20 major economies will discuss global issues face-to-face in Bali, meeting for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
International relations

G-20 foreign ministers gather in Bali amid Ukraine war, inflation

U.S.-China, other meetings on sidelines; Russia's Lavrov expected to attend

7 July 2022
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers his speech during the inauguration ceremony on June 30: Marcos' decision to be sworn in at the iconic National Museum was not short on symbolism.
Opinion

Marcos off to strong start with bold economic gambit

Recovery and national development at the heart of new president's agenda

7 July 2022
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Feeding Asia

India's poorest scald as cooking oil prices soar

War in Ukraine, limits on palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, add fuel to fire

7 July 2022
Drivers line up for fuel at a gas station in Vientiane during mid-June. (Photo by Kosuke Inoue)
Supply Chain

Laos grabs for Russian lifeline as it fights fuel shortage

But cheap fuel risks steep foreign policy price for neutral Vientiane

7 July 2022
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Feeding Asia

Hunger in Asia on the rise

Inflation, COVID-19, climate, conflict drive food insecurity

6 July 2022
Malaysia's central bank governor told the media in May that the bank needed to start recalibrating interest rates.
Currencies

Malaysia raises key rate again to 2.25% amid COVID recovery

Central bank keeps rate hike at 25 basis points despite inflation

6 July 2022
A woman shops at a supermarket in Singapore. Food prices have surged in Southeast Asia. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Inflation

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unleash cash to ease inflation bite

Governments attempt to balance political pressures with fiscal discipline

6 July 2022
China's strict COVID-19 countermeasures are one factor seen weighing on Asian growth this year.
Economy

China lockdowns, Ukraine, inflation dent ASEAN+3 growth forecast

International monitor AMRO cuts 2022 projection to 4.3%

5 July 2022
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Kyiv and Moscow amid pressure from the public for relief from inflation and farmers for access to Russian fertilizer, as well as the threat of a boycott of the G-20 summit in November. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images) 
Ukraine war

Indomie diplomacy: How inflation drove Jokowi to Kyiv and Moscow

From noodles to palm oil, high prices raise stakes of diplomacy for G-20 chair

5 July 2022
The economies of ASEAN's five biggest members will grow 5.0% in 2022, according to the latest survey by JCER and Nikkei in June, thanks to the reopening of borders.
Economy

ASEAN economy to slow down in 2nd half of 2022: JCER/Nikkei survey

Economists see inflation, U.S. rate hikes weighing on region despite COVID easing

4 July 2022
The India Gate shrouded in smog in New Delhi: India faces capital requirements equivalent to 10.8% of gross domestic product to achieve net-zero emissions.
Opinion

No place for greenwashing in Asia's loan markets

Borrowers should think broadly about how financing can support sustainability

4 July 2022
The Thai baht's plunge on July 2, 1997, touched off the Asian financial crisis. Twenty-five years later, the region's resilience is being put to the test.
Economy

COVID, inflation stress-test Asia 25 years after financial crisis

Risks simmer in smaller economies as debt burden swells

2 July 2022
Higher food costs and a surge in global oil prices have fueled Indonesia's inflation.
Economy

Indonesia inflation rate climbs to 5-year high of 4.35% in June

Increase exceeds target of 2% to 4% as oil prices and Ukraine war wreak havoc

1 July 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during a joint news conference following their meeting in Moscow.
Ukraine war

Jokowi says Putin agrees to sea route for Ukraine wheat exports

Indonesian president to 'bridge communications' between Kremlin and Zelenskyy

1 July 2022
After Vietnam, Cambodia has become the next popular destination for China’s processing trade business.
Caixin

Cambodia, Myanmar race to become apparel making hubs

Tax reductions and exemptions among many incentives luring manufacturers

30 June 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv for their bilateral meeting on June 29. (Photo courtesy of Indonesian Presidential Palace)
Ukraine war

Indonesia's Jokowi offers to broker peace in meeting with Zelenskyy

G-20 president is Asia's first leader to visit Kyiv and Moscow since war began

30 June 2022
People wait for gas in Hanoi on June 19. The recent surge in global energy prices will weigh on Vietnam's economy in the near future, as the country is a net importer of oil.
Economy

Solid exports and consumer spending lift Vietnam GDP 7.72% in Q2

Post-COVID recovery is strong but could be hit by rising crude oil prices

29 June 2022
G-20 Joint Finance and Health Ministerial Meeting in Yogyakarta on June 21: In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity. (Handout photo from Ministry of Communications and Informatics of Indonesia)
Opinion

The G-20 is advancing efforts to strengthen the global health system

By recovering together, the world can recover stronger

29 June 2022
Rescuers work at the site of a Ukrainian mall in the Poltava region on June 28 after the shopping center was hit by a Russian missile strike.
Ukraine war

U.S. accuses 5 firms in China of supporting Russia's military

Washington also adds companies from Singapore, Vietnam to trade blacklist

29 June 2022
The Loire River near the Anjou-Bretagne bridge in Ancenis-Saint-Gereon, France, was no more than a dry riverbed on June 13: No one is immune.
Opinion

U.N. Secretary-General: We need a renewables revolution

Rescuing our burning planet depends on accelerating our transition

28 June 2022