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Rallying Team Thailand in the Fight against Covid-19

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai prime minister has called on the country’s corporate titans to come up with projects that will benefit the wider community.

Covid-19 in the Philippines: Star Mayors, Malacanang Material?

A number of star mayors who have acted effectively during the country’s Covid-19 pandemic might well be in the presidential race come 2022.

ASEAN Cities: The Rise of Paradiplomacy

City governments around the world, in particular in Southeast Asia, have been forming multilateral platforms to tackle issues of climate change and income disparity.

Poor Countries and Covid-19: Flattening the Misery Curve

Countries have gone all out to flatten the infection curve of Covid-19. But given the economic costs inflicted on the vulnerable poor, it might be time to think about flattening the misery curve.

Nguyen Phu Trong’s Rare Appearances: Holding Up?

Speculation about the health of Vietnam’s top leader Nguyen Phu Trong has been rife. The question is whether he will hold up till the upcoming Party Congress in January 2021.

Covid-19: In the Doldrums of Debt

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, many Southeast Asian countries, several of which are already forecast to careen into recession this year, will see themselves in hock.

Global Leadership is Flagging. Can ASEAN or ASEAN+3 Step Up?

Both ASEAN and its Plus Three partners – China, Japan and Korea – have been ramping up efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. It is time now for the Plus Three to step up to the plate.

Tariff Reductions In RCEP: They Still Matter for ASEAN Trade

Exporters in ASEAN are likely to face lower demand for their goods under the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, as three ASEAN dialogue partners – China, Japan and the Republic of Korea – are likely to intensify trade flows among them. This does not mean there is no room for ASEAN to accrue gains from the trade deal.

Covid-19 and Indonesia: Not Quite a Lockdown

Jakarta has studied the examples of Malaysia and India and decided not to implement a full lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The social and economic costs are deemed to be too high.