January 2023
Local resistance, not foreigners, key to Myanmar’s future
Longstanding hesitation about entanglement in a wider war will discourage foreign players from taking more aggressive, interventionist approaches.
September 2022
ASEAN economies a bright spot amid gloomy outlook
The Asian Development Bank has lowered its forecast for developing Asia and the Pacific, but the region is still expected to grow by 4.3 per cent this year.
July 2022
China slowdown, inflation hamper Asia’s recovery
The Asian Development Bank has cut its forecast to 4.6 per cent for the region, down from the 5.2 per cent it predicted in April.
April 2022
Australia could take the lead in curbing global kleptocrats
An international anti-corruption court would stop rulers from pillaging their own nations. Leading the charge would also be good for Australia’s international reputation.
Price spikes in Asia mean the world is now facing inflation
The turning point was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which triggered an upheaval in commodities markets. That pushed energy and fuel prices higher and threatened grain supplies to Asia.
March 2022
Vietnam’s outlook has GDP growth accelerating
Gross domestic product will expand by between 6 and 6.5 per cent in 2022, the quickest pace in the region, and the second-fastest in Asia-Pacific.
New Forests to double Asian assets after securing $165m for new fund
New Forests has secured almost $165 million of sovereign wealth, corporate, philanthropic and development finance capital
August 2021
Taliban rule presents aid agencies with moral, fiscal dilemma
International failure to engage with the Taliban could set up an even larger crisis, many warn.
April 2021
India emergency extends pandemic to 2023 and beyond
India has shown the world there is no Hollywood ending for this pandemic. As long as the virus has room to mutate, we’ll be living with COVID-19.
India outbreak challenges forecasts for Asia-led recovery
The Asian Development Bank believes the situation will probably worsen before it improves for India, but it was still hopeful the economy would post strong growth this year.
September 2020
Virus exposes winners and losers in regional fight for investment
Indonesia is at a turning point. If it manages to get infection numbers under control, it can get back to business and enact the reforms that would make it more attractive for multinationals. If not, it could face a period as turbulent as any since independence 75 years ago.
China's consumers complete growth story
China's latest data covering August confirm that the country is one of the few consumer bright spots in the global doom and gloom.
China one of the few bright spots in Asian recovery outlook
The Asian Development Bank has forecast the first regional contraction since the 1960s as countries other than China struggle to get their economies back on track.
Asian Development Bank urged to phase out coal
The Asian Development Bank should end coal-fired power plant financing to lead the region's clean energy transition, an independent review has found.
June 2020
COVID-19 has suspended middle-class growth
Once a trend on which the hopes of governments and businesses were predicated, middle-class growth has been partially furloughed. In its place: rising poverty.
April 2020
Helping Indonesia to help ourselves
Australia needs Indonesia to succeed. Canberra’s job is to make sure we remain friendly with, and even indispensable to, Jakarta.
February 2020
Coronavirus costs China’s services sector $217b in a week
The outbreak could knock a full percentage point off China's GDP this year, according to worst-case modelling.
January 2020
Virus will be under control by April
The coronavirus outbreak will get worse before it gets better, but from an economic perspective it is too early to panic.