41 h. ago How Hong Kong pair landed in Myanmar scam farm ‘living a life worse than death’

Having lived in safe Hong Kong all her life, Nancy never imagined that an overseas job would lead to forced labour in a scam farm, a harrowing experience that lasted for half a year before she could be reunited with her family. “I was living a life worse than death, surviving purely by willpower,” said Nancy, who is in her twenties. Like thousands of others lured to Southeast Asian scam farms, Nancy was hoping to make some quick money when a “friend” referred her for a job making cross-border...

Events

3 d. ago China’s new hope in breaking reliance on foreign chipmaking machines

AMIES Technology, a new Chinese lithography equipment manufacturer that showcased its latest chipmaking products at an industry event in Shenzhen last week, is offering renewed optimism in the nation’s drive to reduce its dependence on Dutch giant ASML. The company presented a wide range of products – including compound-semiconductor lithography machines, laser-annealing systems, advanced inspection tools and solutions for packaging and wafer bonding – at the WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem...

Politics

5 d. ago Indonesia’s North Korea ties stoke worries in Seoul over jet tech leak

Indonesia’s renewed diplomatic engagement with North Korea has raised concerns in Seoul over the possible breach of sensitive technology related to the KF-21, a cutting-edge fighter jet jointly developed with the Southeast Asian nation. South Korean officials maintain that KF-21 data is protected under existing non-disclosure agreements with Jakarta. Still, critics point to Indonesia’s record on the joint project, including payment delays and leak scandals, which have undermined its...

Politics

5 d. ago Indonesia’s bid to ship durians straight to China rides on refrigeration, sanitation

Indonesia’s intent to export durians directly to China in search of higher profits will hinge on mastering the sanitary standards and cold-chain storage that intermediary countries have provided to date, analysts said. Sudaryono, deputy agriculture minister of the Southeast Asian archipelago, has announced that Indonesia is “actively seeking opportunities” to export directly to China as a way of increasing profits from an average of 10 to 30 per cent, the national news agency Antara reported...

Politics

6 d. ago European carmakers fear for production in dispute over chipmaker Nexperia

European carmakers fear for production in dispute over chipmaker Nexperia  Reuters

Politics

6 d. ago South Koreans cancel Southeast Asia holidays over Cambodia trafficking fears

South Koreans are cancelling holidays not only to Cambodia but also to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, spooked by government travel bans and reports of compatriots being kidnapped, trafficked or killed by regional crime syndicates. A man in his fifties surnamed Son told the Korea JoongAng Daily he had just cancelled a December golf trip with friends to Phnom Penh. “It’s a waste to lose the cancellation fee,” he said, “but I just can’t bring myself to go...

Politics

7 d. ago Huawei supplier SiCarrier’s subsidiary launches new EDA software

A subsidiary of SiCarrier – a semiconductor equipment maker backed by the Shenzhen municipal government and a supplier to Huawei Technologies – has released proprietary electronic design automation (EDA) software, bolstering China’s broader push towards self-reliance in chipmaking. Qiyunfang, the SiCarrier unit, on Wednesday launched two EDA products – one for schematic capture and another for printed circuit board (PCB) design – at the three-day WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem Expo 2025 in...

Events

7 d. ago South Koreans reveal beatings and organ harvesting in Cambodia’s scam camps

As South Korean victims of Cambodia’s scam camps recount frequent beatings, torture and even organ harvesting, President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to step up efforts to rescue citizens trapped in the Southeast Asian nation. “It’s not uncommon for people to die from assault. About one person dies every day,” one South Korean who is a resident in Cambodia told Yonhap news agency on Tuesday. “It’s not just South Koreans who are targeted. There are also people of various nationalities, including...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘1 person dies every day’: South Koreans reveal horrors of Cambodia’s scam camps

As South Korean victims of Cambodia’s scam camps recount frequent beatings, torture and even organ harvesting, President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to step up efforts to rescue citizens trapped in the Southeast Asian nation. “It’s not uncommon for people to die from assault. About one person dies every day,” one South Korean who is a resident in Cambodia told Yonhap news agency on Tuesday. “It’s not just South Koreans who are targeted. There are also people of various nationalities, including...

Events

8 d. ago UK and US sanction Southeast Asian scam networks exploiting trafficked workers

Britain and the United States on Tuesday sanctioned a Southeast Asia-based multinational network accused of operating large-scale online “scam centres” that used trafficked workers to defraud victims around the world. The British government said the centres, located in Cambodia, Myanmar and across the region, used fake job adverts to lure workers who were then forced to commit online fraud under threat of torture. This included luring victims into fake romantic relationships before persuading...

Politics

1 week ago Malaysia braces for a volatile Asean summit with Trump centre stage

Just weeks ago, securing US President Donald Trump’s attendance at this month’s Asean summit was seen by many as a diplomatic masterstroke by Malaysia’s leader. But the fanfare surrounding the notoriously fickle American president’s impending arrival in Southeast Asia has since faded, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s apparent triumph of statesmanship transforming into a high-wire act fraught with risk. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ next summit is set to be held in...

Politics

1 week ago Trump to slap new 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, along with additional tech controls

In a major escalation of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, US President Donald Trump on Friday announced an additional tariff of 100 per cent on all Chinese imports, on top of levies already in place. “Starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a tariff of 100 per cent on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying”, he said in a social media post. “Also...

Politics

1 week ago Asean+3 growth defies expectations but trade war risks still ‘high’, AMRO says

The “Asean plus three” group of countries achieved solid economic growth in the first half of 2025, but unpredictable policy shifts in the United States could still send tremors through the region this year, a top economic surveillance body said. Growth in the grouping – the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, along with China, Japan and South Korea – is projected to reach 4.1 per cent in 2025, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said in a new quarterly...

Events

1 week ago Will a Philippine push for ‘bolder’ action on Myanmar strain Asean ties?

A group of lawmakers in the Philippines have urged their government to take a firmer stance on the crisis in Myanmar, filing a resolution that calls for stronger support for the country’s pro-democracy movement and greater pressure on its ruling military junta. The push comes as the Philippines prepares to assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) next year, raising expectations over how it will handle one of the bloc’s most divisive issues. Analysts say the...

Politics

1 week ago He lost his daughter to Kpods. Now, this Singaporean aims to avert next tragedy

Since losing his only daughter in a fall from their high-rise flat in Singapore, Delfard Tay has turned grief into purpose, sounding the alarm on drug-laced vapes that put teenagers’ lives at risk. Authorities in the Southeast Asian island state have clamped down on e-cigarettes, introducing strict measures in August to combat a worrying rise in the use of so-called Kpods – vapes spiked with synthetic drugs such as ketamine. Tay said that his daughter, 19-year-old Shermaine, was struggling with...

Politics

2 w. ago India’s diplomatic weight is best exercised closest to its borders

As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It...

Politics

2 w. ago How joining the RCEP will boost Hong Kong’s role as a superconnector

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest trade bloc. Including all 10 economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), mainland China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, the group contributes to 30 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 25 per cent of global exports. In September, Asean’s economic ministers issued a joint statement affirming their desire to accelerate the addition of four new members into the RCEP –...

Politics

2 w. ago Later retirement expected in 2026 budget as Malaysia tackles economic pressures

Malaysians may be asked to retire five years later at 65 but should be spared any sharp tax rises in Friday’s budget, economists say, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces an economy hampered by an ageing population, high youth joblessness and surging living costs at the halfway point of his administration. About 8 per cent of Malaysia’s 34 million population are aged 65 and older, according to government data, firmly placing the Southeast Asian nation in the ageing nation category. At the same...

Economics

2 w. ago Anwar’s Trump card: why Malaysia wants US president at Asean summit

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has prioritised pragmatism over ideology in sticking to his guns on inviting US President Donald Trump to attend the Asean summit this month, observers say. They add that the move aligns with the long-standing practice and principles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with Kuala Lumpur as chair taking a “low-risk” decision to maximise the member states’ trade aspirations with America and engage Trump on regional issues. Mahathir Mohamad, former...

Politics

3 w. ago US slaps new tariffs on furniture imports, widens blacklist of Chinese companies

US President Donald Trump has declared his administration will start slapping steep tariffs on countries that export furniture to America, putting China in the crosshairs of his efforts to bring manufacturing back to his country again, even amid ongoing high-level efforts between Washington and Beijing aimed at resolving their trade differences. In a separate move, Chinese companies and their subsidiaries will be targeted by an expansion to the reach of a US Commerce Department trade...

Politics