U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit in Manila on Nov. 13.
Economy

Trump to press ASEAN on North Korea and to fix lopsided trade

South China Sea also could be on agenda on US president's last leg of trip

13 November 2017
Trade ministers pose for a photo during the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting in Manila on Nov. 12.
Economy

RCEP trade agreement delayed till 2018

Japan signs deal with ASEAN covering services and investment

12 November 2017
Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, right, and Vietnam's Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh shake hands at a press conference announcing an agreement in principle for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 11.
Economy

TPP nations reignite multilateral trade hopes as Trump looks on

11-nation agreement could have knock-on effects on future trade deals

12 November 2017
National leaders pose during group photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 11.
Economy

Trump's isolation stands out as APEC leaders embrace multilateralism

Gathering focused on trade, leaving China unchecked on South China Sea issue

12 November 2017
Vietnam's Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh and Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attend a news conference on the TPP Ministerial Meeting in Da Nang on Nov. 11.
Economy

'TPP 11' nations reach agreement in principle, to take effect by 2019

Members aim to ratify and sign by next spring, despite absence of US

12 November 2017
Japan's Minister of Economic Revitalization Toshimitsu Motegi, right, and Vietnam's Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh shake hands after a news conference at the TPP Ministerial Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam on Nov. 11.
Economy

TPP aims to set template for future trade deals

Agreement's 11 signatories hope to counter growing protectionist moves

12 November 2017
Country leaders pose during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 11.
Economy

APEC statement addresses Trump criticism of 'unfair trade'

Leaders call for removal of 'market distorting subsidies'

11 November 2017
Stream article image
Politics

Donald Trump and Barack Obama in Asia: a pictorial

A US president follows in his predecessor's footsteps -- almost

11 November 2017
Ministers from the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership member states discuss the trade deal in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 9.
Economy

TPP ministers affirm agreement in principle but no summit

Details to be laid out Saturday at news conference, Japanese minister says

11 November 2017
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Politics

Canada's 11th-hour revolt gums up TPP talks

Ministers scrambled to heal rift in meeting Friday night

11 November 2017
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a press briefing at the Government Office in Hanoi on Nov. 8.
Economy

'TPP 11' trade pact official agreement still up in the air

Japan PM says Canada not ready to make decision

10 November 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 10.
Economy

Trump warns Indo-Pacific nations on 'trade abuses'

President demands 'fairness and reciprocity' through bilateral deals

10 November 2017
Singapore's central business district forms the backdrop for a PSA International port terminal.
Economy

11 nations agree in principle on TPP Pacific trade deal

Leaders look to officially rubber stamp deal on Friday

10 November 2017
An APEC logo in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Politics

Big week ahead for Asia's politics and economy

Trade, North Korea and terrorism on agenda for regional meetings

9 November 2017
Ships in the Strait of Singapore (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Coming week may determine fate of TPP and shape global trade

Rival RCEP deal also up for discussion in Asian meetings

8 November 2017
Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party, may not be ready to leave just yet.
Politics

Power struggle unfolds behind Vietnam's state reforms

Southeast Asian nation's leader seen moving to prolong stay at the stop

3 November 2017
Stream article image
Economy

5 things to watch during Trump's visit to Asia

President's 12-day tour will be a test of US leadership in the region

2 November 2017
A street market in Mumbai: India faces widening gender gaps in politics, healthy life expectancy and basic literacy.
Economy

India plunges to 108th in gender equality ranking

Asia's big economies slip, with China in 100th place and Japan in 114th

2 November 2017
Top Japanese trade negotiator Kazuyoshi Umemoto, center, speaks to counterparts from the other remaining TPP signatories in Urayasu, near Tokyo, on Oct. 31.
Economy

'TPP 11' negotiators make headway before crucial summit next week

'Consensus' reached on freezing certain provisions, but obstacles remain

1 November 2017
Singapore held on to the No. 2 spot in the World Bank's latest Ease of Doing Business survey.
Business

Thailand and Vietnam jump in business-friendliness ranking

Asia's emerging economies the place to be, according to the World Bank

1 November 2017
Exiting the TPP 11 would leave New Zealand out of the broader movement toward free trade, a dairy industry body warns.
Economy

Tough road ahead for 'TPP 11' even with New Zealand on board

New prime minister's shift eases path, but issues remain on about 50 provisions

31 October 2017
South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong speaks at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meeting in Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 24. (Courtesy of South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
Economy

RCEP deal unlikely this year: South Korean official

Participants snagged over how much to open their markets in trade pact

27 October 2017
ASEAN foreign ministers attend the closing ceremony of the 50th ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila in August.
Politics

Bilahari Kausikan: ASEAN must work harder to stay 'central'

The balance of regional vs. national interests is becoming trickier to maintain

26 October 2017
From left, Michael Green, Tang Siew Mun, Masanori Nishi, Yoji Koda, Zack Cooper and Julio Amador Ⅲ attend a panel discussion of the Asia–Pacific Geo-Economic Strategy Forum in Singapore on Oct. 25. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Politics

Experts call for ASEAN unity on South China Sea

US still plays critical role in security, but needs to clarify strategy

25 October 2017
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier with accompanying fleet conducting a drill in an area of the South China Sea.
Politics

Inaugural ASEAN-China naval drill underway

Singapore says maritime exercise will build trust and confidence amid sea dispute

24 October 2017