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Asia Insight

Asia's flashpoints: What could go wrong in 2020

Missiles, military clashes, defaults and political crises in the cards

31 December 2019
Xi Jinping's ultimate aim is to win acceptance for what he has called a "community of common destiny" around Asia.
Opinion

2020 look ahead: Chinese influence a concern as ASEAN elections arrive

Taiwan, Singapore and others must beware Beijing's intentions as voters go to polls

31 December 2019
Vietnamese residents take photos as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un goes past in Hanoi on Feb. 26.
Photos

2019 in pictures: Looking back at a year of celebrations, confrontations and more

A selection of striking images from across Asia, and the stories behind them

29 December 2019
Kohon Ja, a Myanmar woman, applies “thanaka,” a traditional cosmetic paste made from finely ground bark, to her face at her home. She was forced to marry a Chinese man. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Photos

In pictures: Myanmar women trafficked as brides in China

Casting shadow on Belt and Road, victims share their ordeals

29 December 2019
Photos by Getty Images, Reuters
Politics

The 2010s in review: A decade of political and economic shocks

The past 10 years saw the rise of strongmen, the fall of an icon and an unexpected return

27 December 2019
French oil company Total and Australia's Woodside will each take 40% stakes in an offshore drilling project in Myamar, with local partner MPRL E&P holding the rest. (Photo courtesy of MPRL E&P)
Energy

Total and Woodside ink deal with Myanmar for offshore gas project

Agreement marks milestone in opening door to energy investment

26 December 2019
© Illustration by Michael Tsang
Asia Insight

Manila Vice: Xi and Duterte grapple with online casino crime

China wants to kill thriving industry; the Philippines aims to tame it

24 December 2019
Beijing is promoting special economic zones in Laos as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. (Nikkeimontage/Source photo by Reuters)
Belt and Road

China digs Laos in deeper with flurry of SEZs

With Vientiane's hunger for investment, debt-trap fears mount

23 December 2019
Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi is welcomed by supporters waving Myanmar flags outside the airport as she arrives from the Netherlands on Dec. 14 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Politics

Genocide trial strengthens Suu Kyi's unifying power at home

Myanmar leader defends military at ICJ hearing

21 December 2019
Japan's Kirin has brewery joint ventures in Myanmar with a military-linked company.
Food & Beverage

Kirin bid approved by US brewer's owners despite Myanmar uproar

Human rights criticism had threatened Japanese giant's craft beer plans

18 December 2019
Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges of the ICJ on Dec. 11, the second day of hearings: Suu Kyi has played her role to bring the military under control, forcing it to work with her and her party.
Opinion

Aung San Suu Kyi is playing politics with appearance at Rohingya case

Defending military from charge of genocide wins her power at home

16 December 2019
Russia sold $6.6 billion in arms to Southeast Asia between 2010 and 2017, making it the largest weapons supplier to the region.
International relations

Russia quietly expands military ties with Laos

Beijing has not objected to Moscow's military role in the region, experts say

14 December 2019
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi addresses judges in the International Court of Justice on Dec. 11.
Politics

Myanmar's Suu Kyi denies genocide charges at Hague tribunal

Nobel laureate says her country can hold its own military accountable

11 December 2019
Across Southeast Asia, companies are hunting for access to carbon credits -- whether to meet their own climate change pledges, redeem themselves in the eyes of their customers, or preempt the regulations that many believe are inevitable. (Photo by Peter Guest)
The Big Story

COP25: A new carbon market offers hope for Asia's forests

From Mitsui to Shell, companies are investing in emissions offsets

11 December 2019
Japan's Kirin is looking to acquire New Belgium, the fourth-largest brewer in the U.S.
Food & Beverage

Kirin's US beer deal threatened by Myanmar links

Craft brewer New Belgium urged to block takeover by Japanese group

11 December 2019
A girl collects drinking water outside Yangon: Myanmar's economic development hinges on the construction of more modern infrastructure.
Engineering & Construction

Ayala and Yoma team up to close Myanmar's infrastructure gap

Conglomerates' power and water plans promise to help offset limited public funds

10 December 2019
A television factory in Shenzhen, China. The U.S. has additional tariffs coming on Dec. 15 that already have Chinese manufacturers scurrying.
Trade war

China Inc's search for factories hits technological wall in Cambodia

US tariffs and threat of more put manufacturers in tight spot

10 December 2019
Sumitronics has set up a factory inside a new industrial park in western Cambodia near the Thai border.
Economy

Cambodia economic zone eyes companies fleeing Thai costs

New industrial park along the border hooks into regionwide business corridor

10 December 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed memorandum to slap tariffs on high-tech goods from China, at the White House on March 22, 2018. 
Your Week in Asia

US tariffs kick in, Tankan survey, and Taiwan campaign kicks off

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

8 December 2019
Indonesia's Ovo offers an app that lets people do everything from make daily purchases to buy investment products on their smartphones.
Finance

Southeast Asia leaps ahead in high-tech financial services

E-money offers the latest example of technological 'leapfrogging' in Asia

7 December 2019
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is set to deny accusations of persecution of the Rohingya people when she appears at the U.N.'s highest court. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Politics

Suu Kyi to defend Myanmar over Rohingya crisis at international court

Suit filed by Islamic organization to be heard in The Hague.

6 December 2019
A truck is ready to test drive the newly opened second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge which connects Myawaddy with Mae Sot, part of the East-West Economic Corridor. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Transportation

Southeast Asia's trans-regional corridor takes shape

Highway connecting South China Sea and Indian Ocean to reshape supply chains

2 December 2019
Cambodia's own currency only accounts for 20% of money used in the nation. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Economy

Chinese money flocks to dollar-based Cambodian economy

Phnom Penh starting to seek economic growth based on national currency

1 December 2019
If WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram have to leave Myanmar, the Chinese app WeChat will fill the void.
Opinion

Elizabeth Warren's plan to break up Facebook risks helping China

If global tech giant withdraws from Southeast Asia, WeChat will take its place

27 November 2019
People wait to check if their names are included in the National Register of Citizens at a draft center in Mayoung, India, pictured in July 2018: migration from Bangladesh has become politically explosive in India.
Opinion

China and India must address causes of migration to stop human traffic

Larger Asian countries are closing their borders, just like West and Gulf states

25 November 2019