One of the easiest ways to boost economic activity is by promoting regional economic integration that facilitates freer movement of goods, services and investment, helping to achieve regional developmental objectives by creating jobs. But in eastern South Asia, this process is being held up by misguided decisions, strategies and outdated ideas.
Trouble may be brewing on the Mekong. The cumulative socio-political and environmental impact of dams on the Mekong raises serious cause for concern. There is a race to the bottom to secure economic growth from a burgeoning hydropower boom in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, China’s increasingly dominant control of water to the north is causing problems with its neighbours.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to be interested in breaking with traditional Japanese diplomacy by emphasising the need to strengthen democracy and human rights in ASEAN. But will Abe be able to promote the strengthening of these values over strategic cooperation?
By local standards, 2014 was a reasonably successful year for the leaders of Central Asian countries. There were no revolutions, insurgencies or mass protests threatening their grip on power. Incumbent heads of state carried out regime maintenance in their customary manner: focusing primarily on managing the inner circle of the ruling elite.
It is the holiday season in Kyrgyzstan and thousands of laborers have come from Russia to celebrate with their families. But this year, some are unsure if they will return in spring, the traditional migration season.
The view of the Southeast Asian region is an oasis of socioeconomic development. But the region’s vibrant economic growth has led to a corresponding increase in energy consumption, an issue recognised by ASEAN as a key shaper of the post-2015 agenda. In order to reduce the region’s over-reliance on imported fossil fuels and build a more sustainable and environmentally friendly power system, ASEAN member states are exploring the use of alternative energy sources such as nuclear and renewable energy.
An important nutrition and health transition is unfolding alongside Asia’s economic transformation. Continuing income growth and changing patterns of food consumption among Asian economies are creating unintended effects on nutrition and health. These developments, if left unmanaged, will have long-term adverse impacts on health care budgets, labour productivity and economic activity.
2014 marks the 60th anniversary of Japan’s foreign aid program. The nation was still receiving World Bank aid when Tokyo began a modest foreign aid program through joining the Colombo Plan in 1954. Today, as one of the world’s largest donors, Japan is placing an increasingly explicit emphasis on foreign aid for the national interest.
The new week has begun with two macro-economic disappointments. First, after the recent capex data, economists had expected Japan’s 0.4% quarterly contraction in Q3 to be largely revised away. However, the actual report came out worse, showing slightly deeper contraction (-0.5%). Moreover, this was due primarily to the downward revision in business spending to -0.4% from -0.2%. The consensus had expected an upward revision to 0.9%.
What will it take to change the way Asia thinks about trade strategy?
As the negotiators of the RCEP agreement are meeting in New Delhi, India, from 1–5 December 2014, attention is turned to the question of whether this mega-regional represents a ‘new paradigm’ of regional trade agreements or not.
