The Brexit is One of a Multitude of Issues Facing Philip Hammond
Headed for number 11. Dominic Lipinski / PA Wire Philip Hammond, the UK’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer, has a lot on his plate. He faces a slowing economy urgently in need of stimulus. He confronts tough choices over public spending...
China was a Regional Preeminent Power for Centuries, and it is Trying Again
Most of us have never known a world where the United States was not the preeminent power. Now things are starting to look rather different. Not only is much of the global economy stuck in an underperforming rut, but there...
Can Africa Achieve First World Status?
One of the most hotly debated topics in development economics is what does it take to steer a poor country from Third World to First World status? It is a debate of particular relevance in Africa, which is home to...
How to Successfully Wield a Supermajority
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, have won 70 of the 121 seats up for grabs in the upper house triennial elections held on Sunday 10 July. The seats obtained in the...
China’s Changing Economy…it will Take a While
China is undergoing profound changes in its economic policy and structure. These changes represent a new model of Chinese economic growth. The recent Five Year Plan (FYP) is an evolutionary document. Building on earlier official statements on the new model...
Emerging Markets now Between US Jobs Data and the FOMC Meeting
EM and other risk assets rallied on Friday after the strong US jobs data. It appears that markets are pricing in a benign backdrop for risk near-term; that is, the US economy is recovering but not by enough to warrant...
As Outbound Chinese Tourism Grows, Australia Looks to Cash In
Chinese tourism around the world is experiencing a boom: the numbers of tourists are increasing and the types of tourism diversifying. However, Australia will need a more culturally sensitive approach than the catchy advertising of old to capitalise on this emerging market....
Does Philippine President Duterte Need a Better International Image?
Since the election of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next Philippine president in a landslide victory on 9 May 2016, the regional and international media have highlighted his outrageous remarks on various sensitive topics. For instance, he backed...
Australia in Danger of Credit Downgrade
Australia received a warning from Standard & Poor's (S&P) this week that it is on downgrade watch. Although the nation presently enjoys a AAA rating, the downgrade warning signals that Australia will likely soon receive a reduced rating. Australia received...
Hello, Credit Repair Hotline? It’s Australia
Australia’s AAA credit rating was under pressure even before the election and is now looking decidedly shaky. Australia’s AAA credit rating was under pressure even before the election and is now looking decidedly shaky. Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has moved Australia’s rating outlook from...
Reassurance and Change, Duterte Takes the Reigns in the Philippines
Rodrigo Duterte took his oath of office as the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines on 30 June 2016. Duterte’s first seven days in office signals both reassurance and change, but it also foretells the complexity of what...
Don’t Panic! Buy…Maybe
Financial markets around the world are responding to current political uncertainty in both Australia and the UK by sending stocks, bonds and currencies on a rollercoaster ride. The far-reaching implications of Brexit caused the S&P/ASX 200 volatility index (A-VIX) to spike to...
Getting Creative in Vietnam to Sustain Economic Growth
The biggest macroeconomic challenge facing Vietnam today is sustaining growth. Most doi moi-era growth has resulted either from efficiency gains associated with the introduction of a market economy (opening domestic markets and trade, relaxing restrictions on labour movement and land...
Rajan’s Exit, then Britain’s, has India on Edge
‘Brexit’, close on the heels of the shock resignation of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Raghuram Rajan, has triggered a great deal of market turbulence and future uncertainty for the Indian economy. What should India do...
Services Closing in on Being Two-Thirds of the Philippine Economy
The services sector dominates the Philippine economy. In 2015, it accounted for 59 percent of GDP and 54.5 percent of employment. In recent years the industry sector — which includes manufacturing and construction — has started to recover, growing faster...