Why America excludes sales, services from its trade deficits: Strategic blind spot in Asia — Phar Kim Beng

APRIL 19 — In the calculus of international trade, perception is power. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way the United States (US) calculates and presents its trade deficit. Since the 1980s, successive American administrations have focused almost …

Southeast Asia’s Quiet Revolt Against the Dollar: Should the US Be Worried?

A decade ago, a traveler from Singapore visiting Bangkok or Jakarta would likely rely on U.S. dollars or a global credit card to settle the bill. Today, things are changing. A Malaysian tourist in Thailand can pay for street food by scanning a QR code, …

Central Asia Opens Diplomatic Rift With Turkiye Over Cyprus

By signing two contested U.N. resolutions on Cyprus, three Central Asian countries have distanced themselves from Turkiye, a move that could turn into a diplomatic quarrel among allies. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are all members of the …

Amid Trump’s tariffs and Asia’s digital pivot, the quiet end of dollar dominance is under way

Xi's Southeast Asia visit deepens shared commitment to neighborhood amity, cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping greets the welcoming crowd during a grand welcome ceremony held by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni at the airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)* Throughout his tour, Xi reaffirmed China's …

Steel Arteries: Southeast Asia’s Race to Reinvent Urban Transport

Muhammad Zamir Assadi Earlier this month, Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport, together with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, announced plans for Phnom Penh’s first metro system. The proposed network—four lines and over 100 …

Moore’s Asia trip helped by baseball talk and a slight football gaffe

SEOUL — In case you haven’t been paying attention these last three years, it’s well established that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is obsessed with sports. The governor just spent a week in Japan and South Korea where he met with business executives, investors, …

Politics of Manufactured Media Misinformation in South Asia

Freedom of speech, gatherings, and protests are some commonly shared values of democratic polity around the globe. The Nepali public has been habituated to a political culture of street protests for more than three decades since 1990, for dissenting and …

NOVOMATIC Pens Asia-Focused Distribution Deal with Harvest Gaming

NOVOMATIC, one of the largest gaming technology companies in the world, has announced a new tie-up with Harvest Gaming. This partnership was hailed as an important step for the former company’s growth in Asia. Harvest Gaming Is a Perfect Fit for NOVOMATIC …

HashKey Launches Asia’s First XRP Investment Fund for Institutions

HashKey Capital has launched the HashKey XRP Tracker Fund, the first fund in Asia focused exclusively on tracking the performance of XRP.  The fund is now open to professional investors. Ripple is backing the initiative as an early investor. According to …