Markets

In a still familiar refrain, EM assets are starting the week off on a soft note.  The global backdrop remains negative, with Yellen’s speech bringing Fed lift-off back into focus.  US jobs data this Friday should support the notion of...

After arguably squandering his limited political capital on pursuing a controversial agenda for an expanded role for the military and re-starting nuclear plans, Japan's Prime Minister has turned his attention back to the economy.  He unveiled Abenomics 2.0.  Recall that Abenomics...

Corruption has existed in Thai society for a long time. It has contributed to the failure of government projects. The Klong-Dan water treatment scandal in the late 1990s spent around 23 billion baht (US$ 638 million) of public funds needlessly....

Thanks to misguided stories about President Xi’s reforms, America risks losing the opportunity to participate appropriately in China’s massive economic rebalancing and reform drive. In their Animal Spirits, George A Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller, two Nobel Prize winners, show how human...

The impact of the Ukraine crisis on the geopolitical order in Europe and beyond is clear. Although China is not directly involved, many Western observers believe that it is the biggest winner from the crisis. The argument is that Western...

Japan's markets will reopen Thursday.  The day after, Japan expects to report that core inflation fell back below zero for the first time since April 2013.  Abenomics has lost its shine with the economy contracting in four of the past...

In the wee hours of the morning yesterday, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)–Komeito coalition muscled a suite of security-related bills through the upper house of the Diet. The bills, now certain to become law, fundamentally re-draw the legal parameters...

On 9 December, Indonesia will have its first simultaneous local executive elections to elect governors, district heads and mayors in 269 localities (out of 537) across Indonesia. While direct election of local executives has been held since 2004, this is...

Recent student protests in Japan against the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) proposed changes to constitutional reinterpretation have Japan watchers asking ‘is the sleepy Japanese student waking up?’ However, what if they were never asleep or they were just waiting for...

China’s next Five-Year Plan is due for formal approval by the National People’s Congress in March 2016.  One of the areas of focus is the role of China’s State-Owned Enterprises, generally viewed with suspicion by the West and seen within...

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s failed bid to return to power as Sri Lanka’s prime minister is seen by many as a major blow for Beijing’s growing influence in the country and the region. The outcome of August’s parliamentary elections, which...

For a long time, historical and territorial disputes plagued relations between Japan and China. So far, the frictions show no sign of abating. Instead, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a nationalistic approach towards China. China has reportedly regularly...

On 27 August, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto abruptly announced his resignation from the Japan Innovation Party (JIP). Hashimoto, who founded the party, has arguably been the single most important driving force behind the JIP’s electoral success and its emergence as...

The Conservative government is introducing a bill that will restrict the right of trade unions to organise and take industrial action in the UK. It has been criticised by union leaders and politicians across the political spectrum. Here is why....

Malcolm Turnbull was all smiles after his overnight ascension to the prime ministership, but the fact is he has inherited some grim economic realities.  He said yesterday that he decided to challenge Abbott for the leadership because, among other reasons:...