Category: SE Asia

Thailand the missing link in China’s Maritime Silk Road

In a policy shift, Thai PM Prayut Chan-ocha says state agencies will study the construction of a long-envisioned ocean-linking canal China craves for economic and security reasons By Benjamin Zawacki After demurring for years, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha last week ordered national planning and security agencies to look into building a possible canal … Continue reading Thailand the missing link in China’s Maritime Silk Road

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Putin’s three days in Singapore mark Russia’s major geopolitical changes since 2000

Vladimir Putin has been trying to strengthen Russia's ties with Southeast Asia lately. This is beneficial to all parties, Nikkei Asian Review wrote. After the meeting with the leadership of Singapore, Putin attended the East Asian Summit (EAC) and the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The EAC includes ASEAN countries plus … Continue reading Putin’s three days in Singapore mark Russia’s major geopolitical changes since 2000

Trade war upsides abound for Vietnam

Trade-geared nation is poised to benefit more than most from coming shifts to global supply chains away from China-based production By Nate Fischler As Asian nations brace for US-China trade war impacts on their economies, Vietnam is positioning itself as a possible two-way winner of the conflict. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made clear … Continue reading Trade war upsides abound for Vietnam

Vietnam reaches for a homegrown tech revolution

Communist planners and private players have prioritized development of indigenous social media and computing platforms to supplant Facebook and Google By David Hutt, @davidhuttjourno Nguyen Manh Hung has been acting Minister of Information and Communications for only two months but he has already reverted to the script left by his predecessors: Vietnam needs to develop … Continue reading Vietnam reaches for a homegrown tech revolution

Misaligned rails keep SE Asia de-linked from China

Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has inspired a flurry of SE Asian railway-building but few of the lines are actually designed to connect to China By Peter Janssen Last month’s launch of a 70-kilometer rail line between Sisophon and Battambang in northwestern Cambodia, a region that hasn’t seen a running train since the 1975-79 Khmer … Continue reading Misaligned rails keep SE Asia de-linked from China