Myanmar’s garment sector has been hard hit by the fall in demand, largely from Europe. This is due partly to the fact that the country is now interwoven into the fabric of globalisation.
Category Archives: Commentaries
ASEAN in the RCEP: Diversions and Reversions
Tariff cuts under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will generate import gains for ASEAN as it will reverse the negative trade-diversion effects caused by the existing bilateral and ASEAN+1 free trade agreements. But there will be firms in ASEAN that have to compete with their counterparts from RCEP countries.
ASEAN and Covid-19: Sandwiched Between Two Giants
ASEAN has found itself in a battle of narratives between China and the United States, as they seek to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The question is how long the grouping can continue to get the best of both worlds when it comes to major power attention.
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.
The Coronavirus Infodemic in Southeast Asia: Panic Buying and Mis-/Dis-information
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.