24 h. ago Philippines’ Marcos softens stance amid economic pressures but will China bite?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s recent call to Filipino-Chinese businessmen to boost Manila’s bilateral ties with Beijing has raised the possibility that the Philippine leader is softening his stance on China. However, while the president’s sudden pivot could signal a recalibration of his approach, observers say the move is unlikely to yield any results in the near term because of his earlier hardline policy, including a statement earlier this month by his defence chief at a major security...

Economics

49 h. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

3 d. ago Pressured by US tariffs, Chinese exports expand in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia

Chinese exports to major industrial centres in Southeast Asia rose by double-digit percentages in the first five months of the year to satisfy growing consumer markets, feed offshore factory investments and offset losses from high US tariffs. Shipments to factory-magnet Vietnam increased by 18.8 per cent from January to May, compared with the same period in 2024, according to official data released on Monday. Meanwhile, exports to Thailand grew by 20.9 per cent, and Indonesia took 16.8 per cent...

Events

8 d. ago Auto industry sounds the alarm as China's rare earth curbs start to bite

Auto industry sounds the alarm as China's rare earth curbs start to bite  CNBC

Events

8 d. ago China’s GDP growth expected to slow next year amid trade strife: OECD

China’s economy is projected to grow by 4.3 per cent next year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said this week as it trimmed a 10th of a percentage point off its previous forecast in the light of ongoing world trade strife. “Substantial barriers to trade” coupled with “diminishing confidence and heightened policy uncertainty” were putting downward pressure on economic growth rates around the world this year and next, the Paris-headquartered world trade advocacy...

Politics

9 d. ago US Pressuring Vietnam to Downgrade Economic Ties With China: Report

US Pressuring Vietnam to Downgrade Economic Ties With China: Report  The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine

Economics

9 d. ago China warns US pressure tactics won’t work for trade talks to happen

Beijing on Tuesday urged Washington to “respect facts, stop spreading disinformation, and correct its wrong practices” to create conditions for meaningful dialogue amid a dispute between the world’s two largest economies over a recent trade deal. “Pressure and coercion are not the right way to engage with China,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing a day after the White House said that it was “likely” that US President Donald Trump would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping...

Events

1 week ago ‘Full of gunpowder’: price wars of China’s carmakers deepen, draw Beijing’s ire

Beijing has amplified its warnings over cutthroat price wars among carmakers as deflationary pressure persists in the world’s second-largest economy, and economists say a reflation is likely to remain elusive. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), party mouthpieces and a carmaker association aired concerns at the weekend over recent discounts offered by manufacturers, while collectively deeming price wars a threat to product quality and the long-term development of the...

Events

1 week ago China's May factory activity unexpectedly shrinks as tariffs bite — worst drop since 2022

China's May factory activity unexpectedly shrinks as tariffs bite — worst drop since 2022  CNBC

Politics

1 week ago US efforts to coerce China into trade concessions ‘will not work’, analysts say

US President Donald Trump’s attempts to force Beijing back to the negotiating table by piling “extreme pressure” on the Chinese economy through a barrage of export controls are doomed to fail, analysts said. Washington has unveiled new curbs on the sale of jet engine and chip design technologies to China in recent days, as Trump insisted in a social media post that he would no longer be “Mr Nice Guy” on trade. But Beijing responded with a stinging rebuke on Monday, with the Ministry of Commerce...

Politics

1 week ago ‘They’ve smelled blood’: battle for 2028 presidency begins in Philippines

As the dust settles from the shock of the Philippines’ midterm election, it is clear that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his dynastic rivals, the Dutertes, have fought to a stalemate, with both camps securing an equal number of Senate seats. This political deadlock ensures that the immediate focus of national politics will revolve around the rivalry between the two powerful clans. For Marcos’ administration, pressing economic and foreign-policy issues are likely to take a back seat to two...

Events

2 w. ago As US pressure mounts, top China party journal calls for worst

Beijing must prepare for the worst-case scenario in its trade talks with Washington, while embracing a narrative of China’s economic certainty, the Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal said in an article published hours before Washington escalated tech and education curbs on China. “The US turned away from the negotiating table and immediately intensified its pressure on China’s semiconductor industry,” said a commentary posted on the official WeChat account of the Qiushi Journal on...

Events

2 w. ago China’s Premier Courts Asean, Gulf States as Trump Tariffs Bite

China’s Premier Courts Asean, Gulf States as Trump Tariffs Bite  Bloomberg.com

Politics

2 w. ago Now or never? Philippine’s Marcos urges Asean to fast track South China Sea code

Now or never? Philippine’s Marcos urges Asean to fast track South China Sea code  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 w. ago Philippines’ Marcos revamps cabinet in ‘bold reset’ after midterms setback

The move signals a push for greater accountability and results within the administration, analysts note.

Politics

3 w. ago Philippines’ Marcos offers reconciliation with Dutertes – will it work?

Marcos’ offer comes after a series of politically charged developments and is seen as a bid to boost his declining approval ratings.

Politics