Can India Capitalize on a Landmark 2014?
India had a landmark year in 2014. A new political, cultural and economic reality is emerging. India had a landmark year in 2014. A new political, cultural and economic reality is emerging.The trend of political fragmentation that started with the...
China’s New Diplomatic Strategy Receives Support from Putin
China is working to make the international order suit its interests better and put China front and centre in global affairs. Xi Jinping’s new diplomatic focus on multilateral diplomacy includes giving new profile to existing arrangements where China can lead,...
Measuring ASEAN State Capacity
An embarrassing fact about ASEAN governments avoided in public policy discussions is that the capacity of most ASEAN states is quite limited — much more limited than they, and the international community, generally wish to admit. Until there is recognition...
Should Japan Look Beyond its Borders to Stem the Population Slide?
Japan’s declining population is a serious problem. Unless the nation can devise policy strategies either to arrest the decline or deal effectively with its impacts, in the long run Japan will find its path to sustained economic growth blocked. Japan’s...
Malaysian Economy Potentially Threatened by Falling Commodity Prices
World oil prices are falling precipitously. For an oil exporter like Malaysia, that is definitely bad news. Unless the country can diversify its economy, it may find it difficult to navigate its way through the economic challenges it faces on...
The Dollar’s Last Hurrah in 2014
The US dollar is trading with a slightly heavier bias as the last minute position adjustment takes a toll. The dollar-bloc and Scandi's are doing somewhat better and sterling is a few ticks higher, while the euro and yen are...
They Make Wine in China? Why Yes, They Do
China’s wine industry has exploded in recent years, with the number of wineries more than doubling over the past decade, propelling the country past Australia to become the world’s 7th-largest producer. What is driving this fast-paced growth and is the...
China’s Challenges, though Daunting, are Surmountable
As we count down the days and now the hours towards the beginning of 2015, what preoccupies most soothsayers of the outlook for the global economy in the coming year is the shape of the Chinese economy. Nudging the United...
Reasons Why Betting on a Collapse in China may be Unwise
George Orwell once observed ‘Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible’. Not long ago, many in the West declared that China would soon be the number one economy in the world.But in the past two...
Greek Election Fallout and European Asset Values
The failure of Greek Prime Minister Samaras to secure sufficient votes in the third and final parliamentary attempt to select a new president has sparked a sell-off in European stocks and peripheral bonds. Up until now, the contagion from Greece...
Thoughts to Mull in the Last Week of the Year
We identify six key issues for investors in the holiday-shortened week ahead. We identify six key issues for investors in the holiday-shortened week ahead. 1. The recent string of US economic data showed not only an upward revision in Q3 GDP...
Thin Trading and Closed Markets on Boxing Day
In thin trading conditions, the major currencies are little changed. The euro is straddling the $1.22 area. It has held above the low seen earlier this week near $1.2165. Since the low, the reaction high has been limited to...
World Economy 2014
2014 witnessed slow growth in the world economy. It tested economies of emerging markets and advanced economies. Economies like Eurozone, Japan and Russia saw some major financial shocks. On the other hand, when compared to 2013, advanced countries like USA...
India’s Modi Faces Challenges but Inspires Confidence
India’s economy, which has languished in middling growth for the past few years, is on the mend under new Prime Minister Narendra Modi.After experiencing real GDP growth of less than 5 per cent in 2013-14, the Indian economy is expected...
South Asian Countries Should not Wait for SAARC
Since its inception in 1985, there have been questions about the effectiveness of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to promote economic integration in South Asia. One of the biggest impediments to SAARC’s progress has been the continued...