Headlines

China train has cemented Widodo’s infrastructure legacy

Indonesia welcomed its first high-speed railway in October 2023, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and a significant leap for Indonesia’s infrastructural development. The US$7.3 billion Jakarta-Bandung line, financed by Chinese banks and built with Chinese technology,

Will property implode China’s economy? Not necessarily

Forty years of continuous growth has transformed China into one of the world’s two largest economies. This is a remarkable achievement that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into the global middle class, consistently surpassing expectations and

More clues Kim is dynastically grooming his daughter

This year, unusually, North Korea allowed more than one candidate on the ballot for the recent local elections. Under new laws introduced in August this year, voters are now asked to choose between two candidates for North Korea’s local and regional assemblies. Then in a second

Time for Malaysia to recognize the ‘New’ Delhi

The visit by Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir to New Delhi from November 5-8 was a significant milestone in Malaysia-India relations. Zambry met with his counterpart, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, for the sixth India-Malaysia

In loving memory of John McBeth

John McBeth, Journalist: 1944-2023 New Zealand-born John McBeth, one of Asia’s pre-eminent journalists with a record of scrupulous and ground-breaking reporting, has died after a short illness. He was 79. Over a career spanning more than 62 years, McBeth’s reporting helped

Europeans demand China quit aiding Putin in Ukraine

China has felt pressure from the United Kingdom and the European Union as a dozen Chinese firms were accused of supplying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. After the Group of Seven (G7) leaders discussed the Ukraine war in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the UK

Next phase AUKUS prime for Anglophone expansion

As the US gets AUKUS Pillar Two up to speed, its focus on non-nuclear technologies may open opportunities for countries like Canada and New Zealand to join the emerging defense alliance. This month, Defense One reported that the Pentagon is pushing for the next phase of the