21 h. ago Energy Asia 2025 offers clear road map for sustainable global net

The need for a flexible mindset, long-term investment and cooperation between Asian nations as the world embraces more sustainable ways to produce, distribute and consume energy were the key action points from top-level discussions involving policymakers and industry leaders. The three-day Energy Asia 2025 forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by the Malaysian energy company, Petronas, examined how Asia can meet its soaring energy needs while advancing its climate goals, a difficult balance...

Politics

48 h. ago Laos cleared to export fresh durians to China as Malaysia, Thailand face new rival

Laos has received approval to begin exporting fresh durians to China, becoming the latest Southeast Asian nation to vie for a slice of the vast Chinese market for the tropical fruit. China’s General Administration of Customs said on its website that Laos was given clearance to begin exports from this past Friday as long as its shipments met phytosanitary standards. Laos could emerge as a challenger in China’s increasingly crowded durian market, as it benefits from cheap labour, logistical...

Politics

3 d. ago China sets import tariff of almost 10 per cent on Belgian pork

China sets import tariff of almost 10 per cent on Belgian pork  belganewsagency.eu

Politics

4 d. ago Mexico stands by 50 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, says move will protect 350,000 jobs

Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard on Monday defended Mexico’s decision to impose new tariffs on imports from China and other Asian countries, describing the move as a necessary step to protect hundreds of thousands of domestic jobs rather than a provocation to any trading partner. The tariff package, approved by Congress last week, will take effect on January 1 and introduce duties ranging from five to 50 per cent on 1,463 products from countries without trade agreements with Mexico. These...

Politics

6 d. ago Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000, over 200 still missing

Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said on Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts. The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll. The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at...

Events

7 d. ago Thailand, Cambodia both report attacks day after Trump’s claim of renewed ceasefire

Bangkok said Cambodian forces killed four Thai soldiers on Saturday, after the prime minister denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce was agreed to end days of deadly fighting. Cambodia and Thailand both reported attacks on Saturday, including on civilian areas, the day after Trump said that the two nations had agreed to renew a truce. Violence between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stems from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800 km (500...

Events

7 d. ago Thailand, Cambodia both report attacks after Trump’s claim of renewed ceasefire

Bangkok said Cambodian forces killed four Thai soldiers on Saturday, after the prime minister denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce was agreed to end days of deadly fighting. Cambodia and Thailand both reported attacks on Saturday, including on civilian areas, the day after Trump said that the two nations had agreed to renew a truce. Violence between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stems from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800 km (500...

Events

8 d. ago Why are South China Sea disputes hard to resolve? Power ‘asymmetry’, says Malaysian expert

An inherent “asymmetry” of power poses a challenge to resolving South China Sea disputes via the quiet diplomacy traditionally favoured by Southeast Asian nations, a leading Malaysian security expert has said. Chinese analysts said Beijing supported the “Asean way” too, so long as sovereignty claims were resolved bilaterally. They also warned against external interference and “power politics” standing in the way of consensus within the bloc. Ruhanas Harun, an international relations professor at...

Politics

8 d. ago Why are South China Sea disputes hard to resolve? Power ‘asymmetry’, Malaysian expert says

An inherent “asymmetry” of power poses a challenge to resolving South China Sea disputes via the quiet diplomacy traditionally favoured by Southeast Asian nations, a leading Malaysian security expert has said. Chinese analysts said Beijing supported the “Asean way” too, so long as sovereignty claims were resolved bilaterally. They also warned against external interference and “power politics” standing in the way of consensus within the bloc. Ruhanas Harun, an international relations professor at...

Politics

8 d. ago Mexico’s tariffs on China aim to placate US – but could backfire: analysts

Mexico’s move to place tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Chinese and other Asian goods underscores US efforts to pressure other countries to take action against China – and Beijing may well retaliate, analysts said. The Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved duties between 5 and 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories – including auto parts, textiles and plastics – starting from January 2026. President Claudia Sheinbaum had proposed the tariffs in the name of protecting local industries, subject to...

Events

8 d. ago Mexican Senate approves up to 50% tariffs on imports from China, Asian nations

Mexican Senate approves up to 50% tariffs on imports from China, Asian nations  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

8 d. ago Mexico approves up to 50% tariffs on China, other Asian nations

Mexico approves up to 50% tariffs on China, other Asian nations  MSN

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese involvement stalls Manila Bay bridge project due to security fears

The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals were “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, Manila’s public works department said in a statement on...

Events

2 w. ago Why Russia is targeting the Philippines with Ukraine mercenary claims

Russia’s accusation that the United States and Germany are recruiting Filipino mercenaries to fight in Ukraine is almost certainly disinformation, analysts say. Yet the claim exposes how easily Southeast Asian nations can be drawn into the information crossfire of global conflicts – becoming unwitting pawns in great-power narratives that shape opinions far beyond the battlefield. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that “US representatives” had enlisted Filipinos to join...

Events

3 w. ago Tripwire clauses: why is China alarmed by Malaysia’s new trade deal with the US?

China has expressed “serious concerns” regarding a trade agreement signed last month between Malaysia and the United States, and some analysts suggest it might be related to how the pact could force the Southeast Asian nation to align with Washington’s sanctions regime. The official reaction on Thursday followed a meeting between Chinese and Malaysian commerce officials earlier in the week. While Beijing did not publicly specify the offending clauses, critics point to provisions that ostensibly...

Events

3 w. ago In its year under Malaysia, Asean tried to set systemic reform in motion

The dust has yet to settle despite the conclusion of the 47th Asean Summit under Malaysia, which remains the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the remainder of the year. There are two main takeaways from the Kuala Lumpur meetings. First, by most objective measures, Malaysia has successfully pulled off not only the summit but its year-long chairmanship, steering several initiatives long in the making past the finish line. One of the most consequential is the formal admission...

Politics

4 w. ago Tariff avoidance and import measurement: Lessons from the first US

Tariff avoidance and import measurement: Lessons from the first US-China trade war  CEPR

Politics