South Asia looks southeast as trade ties strengthen to counterbalance China

This tilt has been most pronounced in India’s expanding economic outreach to Southeast Asia under its "Act East" policy, which has evolved from a diplomatic slogan to a trade and connectivity strategy.

East and Southeast Asia react to Trump’s tariff delay with unease, strategic reassessment

Cynics are even claiming the US president doesn’t want to push his controversial tariffs into the spotlight as the US reels from devastating flash floods in Texas that claimed over 100 lives in recent days.

LNG in Asia: A transitional step on the way to a greener future

As the global push for decarbonisation intensifies, liquefied natural gas - LNG - is emerging as a pivotal player in Asia’s energy transformation.

Where startups are born, global firms grow and capital flows — Asia in 2025

From 2017 to 2023, private equity and venture capital assets under management in Asia surged by 130%, significantly outpacing growth in Western markets.

Global banking’s new powerhouse: Asia

Asia's level of digital banking infrastructure has enabled it to challenge and even surpass traditional Western players such as Citi and HSBC in key regional markets.

ASIA BLOG: Southeast Asia should pivot away from Trump’s America and steer in the direction of Europe

Trump's confrontational approach to China, while superficially aligned with concerns within ASEAN, is neither strategic nor consultative. It is built more on spectacle than substance, more on division than dialogue.

ETF investment trends in Asia in 2025

While ETF markets in Asia have historically lagged behind those in North America and Europe in terms of depth and diversity, 2025 is witnessing a decisive maturing of the regional ETF ecosystem.

ASIA BLOG: Which side leading Asian nations would back if Iran VS Israel escalates

In the event of an escalation, Beijing would likely call for restraint and push for a negotiated settlement. It may be doing so already behind the scenes. However, its silence or perceived tilt towards Tehran could provoke criticism from the West.

What the Iran-Israel war could mean for much of Asia

From energy security and trade disruptions to political polarisation and rising tensions among Muslim-majority nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia and nuclear armed Pakistan, the consequences for Asia could reshape regional dynamics.

COMMENT: Despite Pakistan’s hostility, India builds bridges with Islamic world

New Delhi's outreach to the Islamic world has intensified in recent years, particularly towards the Gulf Cooperation Council states, which are pivotal to India's energy security, diaspora well-being, and trade balance.

ASIA BLOG: How US tariffs are driving Asia closer to itself – and China

What’s striking right now is how ASEAN is operating on two levels. Publicly, it champions inclusivity and dialogue. Privately, it’s hedging harder than ever.

COMMENT: Asian unity in a fragmenting world boosted by the RCEP

In the face of renewed US protectionism and the use of tariffs as economic weapons, RCEP offers the Indo-Pacific region something far more strategic: a framework for resilience, integration and independence.

COMMENT: Asia's team lists in the Washington VS Beijing bout

While fewer in number, some Asian nations have displayed clear signs of alignment or strategic proximity to China.

Combined effort to tackle Asian climate change gaining momentum

Over the past five years Asia has witnessed unprecedented heatwaves, with countries like Bangladesh recording temperatures up to 43.8°C in 2024, leading to nationwide school closures affecting tens of millions of children

India’s remote Northeast emerges as a green energy frontier

India’s Northeast is gaining renewed strategic and economic significance as the country recalibrates its regional posture amid evolving geopolitical dynamics

COMMENT: China’s debt-trap diplomacy - lessons from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and beyond

For the nations affected this results in economic dependence on China and often the surrender of strategic assets - or both.

India poised to become world's third-largest economy by FY2030–31

Despite this, India continues to maintain its status as the fastest-growing large economy, even amid a moderation in real GDP growth projected for FY2024–25.

Rising waters will prompt “catastrophic” mass migration, says study

Even if global heating stays at today's level, the world could be headed for unstoppable sea level rise and mass migration, scientists have warned in a stark new report in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

Rising waters will prompt “catastrophic” mass migration, says study

Could BRICS redefine Asia’s power balance?

For Asian countries outside the current BRICS framework, the stakes are high. Membership could mean enhanced access to financial resources, a larger voice in global institutions, and strengthened ties with emerging powers.