4 h. ago China’s new nationalistic diplomacy wins over Southeast Asia

China’s new nationalistic diplomacy wins over Southeast Asia  East Asia Forum

Politics

11 h. ago Thai PM’s suspension reignites debate, Malaysia’s new tax: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts 2. PM’s suspension reignites debate on ‘judicial activism’ of Thailand’s courts 3. Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind 4. Chinese ambassador’s ‘grandstanding’...

Economics

11 h. ago Australia gets ‘unsolicited advice’; Indonesian mine concern: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts 2. PM’s suspension reignites debate on ‘judicial activism’ of Thailand’s courts 3. Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind 4. Chinese ambassador’s ‘grandstanding’...

Politics

16 h. ago Death threats and harassment: Hong Kong couple’s ordeal with loan sharks

When his health supplement business struggled with cash-flow problems, Bobby Tan* turned to a so-called professional networking group in Hong Kong for help, borrowing HK$300,000 (US$38,220) from a licensed small lender in April last year. Over the next 10 months, the Hong Kong permanent resident from Southeast Asia continued to take on more debt, borrowing from 30 different licensed moneylenders for a total of HK$5.05 million. Each lender charged him an illicit upfront “commission” of 15 to 30...

Events

19 h. ago China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs

China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs  AgWeb

Politics

28 h. ago Eating plastic: the hidden cost of convenience in Southeast Asia

More people in Southeast Asian countries could face health risks ranging from liver damage to poor brain development due to rising consumption of microplastics in their food, medical and regulatory experts have warned. Microplastics are formed when larger plastic items break down. As more animals, such as fish, eat microplastics due to plastic pollution, the near-invisible particles measuring less than 5mm (0.19 inch) can go up the food chain. “If the microplastics are absorbed by fish and then...

Politics

40 h. ago Fake it ‘til you make it? Inside Southeast Asia’s booming counterfeit economy

Persistence is the lifeblood of the counterfeit trade – an attribute Rahul* has in spades. On the bustling, neon-lit streets of Bangkok, the thirty-something from India hawks imitation Rolex watches with a practised ease. “This is nearly as good as the real one,” he says, grinning, before melting into the crowd, a bag of replica Swiss timepieces slung over his shoulder. His trade is illegal, yet it flourishes out in the open – a mere ripple in Southeast Asia’s ocean of counterfeit goods. Now,...

Politics

4 d. ago Southeast Asia Digest: Caught Between U.S. Tariff and China Shadow

Southeast Asia Digest: Caught Between U.S. Tariff and China Shadow  The China-Global South Project

Events

5 d. ago Can Rubio’s Asia tour ease region’s anxiety over looming US tariffs?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Asia next week on a high-profile diplomatic tour, but his visit is not expected to ease growing anxiety in Southeast Asia, which is bracing itself for the return of steep US tariffs that threaten to derail growth and test ties with Washington. Rubio is expected to fly to Kuala Lumpur for meetings on July 10-11 with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and other Asia-Pacific countries, according to media reports. He...

Politics

5 d. ago China says it is willing to take lead in signing Southeast Asia nuclear weapon

China says it is willing to take lead in signing Southeast Asia nuclear weapon-free zone treaty  Reuters

Events

7 d. ago Charm and Coercion Shape China’s Expanding Security Footprint in Southeast Asia

Charm and Coercion Shape China’s Expanding Security Footprint in Southeast Asia  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Events

8 d. ago Why China sees US trade deals with partners as a threat – and how it could react

Beijing has renewed its warning to other countries not to strike deals with the United States on terms that come at China’s expense – ahead of Washington’s looming deadline to conclude tariff negotiations with most of its trade partners. Chinese officials are concerned that nations from Europe to Southeast Asia may enter into trade agreements with the US that divert supply chains, reduce bilateral trade with China or compel governments to exit Beijing-led projects, analysts said on Monday. “The...

Events

8 d. ago ‘Small wins don’t hide the truth’: Philippine tourism slumps amid Asean’s boom

A viral social media thread lamenting the Philippines’ seventh-place ranking for tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia has sparked soul-searching among Filipinos, who blame poor infrastructure, high costs and weak accessibility – even as experts say the country is quietly shifting towards a more sustainable, higher-value model of tourism. The online uproar began with a widely shared post by content creator Thea Tan, who wrote on social media earlier this month: “The Philippines has what other...

Politics

9 d. ago My Take | Southeast Asia increasingly finds China more reliable and predictable

My Take | Southeast Asia increasingly finds China more reliable and predictable  South China Morning Post

Politics

2 w. ago Southeast Asia Is Starting to Choose: Why the Region Is Leaning Toward China

Southeast Asia Is Starting to Choose: Why the Region Is Leaning Toward China  Foreign Affairs

Events

2 w. ago China’s soft diplomacy: Pandas win hearts and minds without even trying

China’s soft diplomacy: Pandas win hearts and minds without even trying  Youth Journalism International

Politics

2 w. ago Iran hitting back at US inevitable as window for diplomacy narrows: analysts

Iranian retaliation against the American air strikes ordered by President Donald Trump is inevitable, despite a diplomatic backchannel message from Washington to Tehran before the attack that it was intended as a one-off, according to analysts. The only uncertainty, Middle East experts say, is how the Islamic republic will balance its responses so as to preserve the regime and show its potency within the region – if only to buy enough time to clandestinely build nuclear warheads. “Trump just...

Events

2 w. ago Crisis calculations: Trump’s America leaves Southeast Asia in a spin

Five months into Donald Trump’s presidency, Southeast Asia finds itself adrift. The foundations of its relationship with the US have been shaken by punitive tariffs and a sudden withdrawal of aid that hurt some of the region’s most vulnerable – even as Washington maintains its military presence with an eye fixed squarely on China. This volatility has deepened a sense of American “unreliability” across Southeast Asia, according to experts who spoke to This Week in Asia. Yet a complete rupture...

Politics

3 w. ago Will Indonesia’s US$1.5 billion stimulus lift Indonesia’s economy?

Indonesia’s latest US$1.5 billion stimulus package may fall short of reviving sluggish household spending or propelling the government’s ambitious 8 per cent growth target, analysts have warned. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy posted only a 4.87 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter this year. The momentum of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which fell within the period, could not lift public spending, an anomaly that has sparked concerns among officials. In response,...

Economics

3 w. ago Europe is trying to woo Southeast Asia — but it won’t win it over the U.S. or China

Europe is trying to woo Southeast Asia — but it won’t win it over the U.S. or China  CNBC

Politics