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This Week in Asia /

Economics

Employees work on a solar panel production line at a workshop in China’s Jiangsu province earlier this year. Photo: VCG/Getty Images
Indonesia

Indonesia’s 100GW solar plan needs China, but who pays the US$73 billion bill?

Chinese partners can bring the hardware, but a new report says Jakarta must mobilise fresh capital to reach its goal.

Artificial intelligence

AI pulls up the civil service ladder to Southeast Asia’s middle class

Bangladesh

‘There could be anarchy’: Bangladesh’s garment sector unrest threatens disaster

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Malaysia

Why Malaysia may still face trade uncertainty after US midterms

The Democrats may face stiff opposition from Trump over his tariffs and scrutinise China’s trade partners such as Malaysia, analysts say.

US President Donald Trump shows a chart of tariffs to be imposed on various countries at a trade announcement event in the White House in April last year. Photo: TNS
US President Donald Trump shows a chart of tariffs to be imposed on various countries at a trade announcement event in the White House in April last year. Photo: TNS
Singapore

How Singapore confronts AI fears of ‘broken’ career ladder, no pause button

Minister Josephine Teo outlines five imperatives that guide Singapore’s AI policy at the Family Business Summit in Hong Kong.

South Korea

South Korea investigates 580 finance firms after massive data leaks

The Financial Services Commission warns banks against ignoring known security risks and unsafe practices.

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India

India vows to dig its way out of China machinery curbs

The curbs have intensified calls for India to develop its own advanced tunnelling equipment and boost its manufacturing sector.

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A tunnel-boring machine is seen at a machinery equipment manufacturing company in Changshu, east China’s Jiangsu province, on October 30. Photo: Xinhua
A tunnel-boring machine is seen at a machinery equipment manufacturing company in Changshu, east China’s Jiangsu province, on October 30. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

Vietnam edges ahead of Indonesia on per-person GDP. Is Thailand next?

Indonesia’s US$1.5 trillion economy is still nearly triple that of Vietnam, whose marginal per capita lead may not last.

US midterm elections 2026

Why a midterm mauling for Trump will not bring Asia trade relief

Asian exporters banking on a hostile Congress to undo Trump’s trade disruption are set for disappointment, analysts say.

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Singapore

Asean seeks to sign FTA with EU. Can Singapore help resolve the Myanmar hurdle?

As Asean chair next year, Singapore faces challenges such as existing sanctions on Myanmar, analysts say.

The EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations flags on display ahead of a summit between the two blocs in Brussels in 2022. Photo: AFP
Video gaming

Game studios use AI to cut costs, but look to Southeast Asia for human touch

Gamers still want human-made art and studios are paying animators from Thailand to Malaysia to make it. But for how long?

Original video game artwork created by James Chaingam, 19, a Thai student who pays his way through university as a freelance artist and animator under the pen name “Avomavomy”. Image: James Chaingam
Original video game artwork created by James Chaingam, 19, a Thai student who pays his way through university as a freelance artist and animator under the pen name “Avomavomy”. Image: James Chaingam
Electric & new energy vehicles

Southeast Asia’s EV boom sidelines local car parts suppliers

Suppliers in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia grapple with falling demand, as Chinese carmakers favour their own networks.

Artificial intelligence

‘I’m terrified’: AI comes for Southeast Asia’s graduate jobs

From Bangkok to Singapore, AI dread grips young jobseekers as the bottom rung of the career ladder starts to buckle.

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Indonesia

Will diversifying fuel imports be enough to fix Indonesia’s energy shortfall?

Analysts say Indonesia will need to close its production gaps by stepping up refinery modernisation and investment in alternative fuels.

Motorcyclists queue to refuel at a state-owned Pertamina petrol station amid a fuel supply shortage in Bali, Indonesia, on October 15. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Malaysia’s ageing fighters get some relief as South Korean jets arrive

The ordered planes mark the Malaysian air force’s first fleet renewal in 19 years since the delivery of Russian Sukhois in 2007.

The first FA-50M Block 20 jet arrives at the Labuan air force base on Friday. Photo: Facebook / tudmrasmi
The first FA-50M Block 20 jet arrives at the Labuan air force base on Friday. Photo: Facebook / tudmrasmi
Asean

Can Lula’s re-election unlock Mercosur markets for Southeast Asia?

Analysts point to tariffs, agricultural access and political differences as potential hurdles but say individual industries could make gains.

South Korea

South Korea’s chip giants ride record AI windfall, but can China catch up?

SK Hynix and Samsung are riding the AI chip frenzy to record profits, but Chinese competitors are coming for their market share.

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Malaysia

The price of romance: young Malaysian men borrow to fund dates, study finds

Rising living costs and social media pressures are turning romance into a costly affair, forcing some young suitors into the red.

A young couple pictured together. Over 13 per cent of Malaysian men have borrowed money to fund dates, as rising living costs strain romance and marriage plans, according to a survey by LEGASI Research. Photo: Shutterstock
A young couple pictured together. Over 13 per cent of Malaysian men have borrowed money to fund dates, as rising living costs strain romance and marriage plans, according to a survey by LEGASI Research. Photo: Shutterstock
SCMP Highlights

Why paper straws are worse than plastic; haze in Indonesia: 7 Asia highlights

From Malaysian teen held after live-streaming axe attack to haze in Indonesia, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Asean

Southeast Asia’s housing paradox: too many homes, too few buyers

Analysts point to speculative investment, financing hurdles and poor locations as factors leaving properties empty.

The Philippines

Climate damage to Philippine ports could cost US$70b a year by 2100

Rising seas and fiercer typhoons threaten to paralyse trade lines, driving up food costs and devastating coastal communities.

Workers walk beside containers at the Manila North Harbour Port in the Philippines. Photo: AP
South Korea

AI chip surge lifts South Korea to record surplus, behind only China

Soaring memory prices pushed quarterly earnings past Germany and Japan combined for the first time.

A student at Seoul National University’s Inter-university Semiconductor Research Centre washes a semiconductor chip diced from a wafer in South Korea. Photo: AFP
A student at Seoul National University’s Inter-university Semiconductor Research Centre washes a semiconductor chip diced from a wafer in South Korea. Photo: AFP
Saudi Arabia

Gulf economies accelerate diversification as recession looms over Iran war

Even as the region’s economic downturn is expected to worsen, Gulf states are slated to spend tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure.

Malaysia

‘Videos made me panic’: France unrest gives jitters to Southeast Asian tourists

Safety alerts and riots lead to itinerary changes at a time when tourism from the region to France is experiencing an uneven recovery.

Asean

What Indonesia’s warnings of energy cuts mean for Asean

Observers say the warnings reflect a broader trend towards resource sovereignty but are unlikely to hinder progress in regional frameworks.

Captive thermal power plants and solar panel installations in North Maluku province. Indonesia has warned it could curb energy exports to countries it deems disrespectful. Photo: Indonesia’s Presidential Palace / AFP
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