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Money • STORY OF THE DAY • Sep 11, 2019 • 14 min read

Australia and ASEAN Drawing a line

By Simon Roughneen • Sep 11, 2019
Australia’s attempts to move closer to Southeast Asia have met with limited success so far, but are likely to become more urgent as the China-US rivalry intensifies

Money • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 27, 2019 • 11 min read

Vietnam economy Winning the battle, losing the war?

By Simon Roughneen • Aug 27, 2019
Trade-oriented Vietnam has benefitted from the US-China stand-off, pulling in more investment. But growing exports are dominated by a few big foreign players, leaving Vietnam vulnerable to global market swings

Money • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 19, 2019 • 11 min read

North Korea A great con?

By Robin Spiess, additional reporting by Veng Sonita • Aug 19, 2019
US President Donald Trump believes North Korea’s beaches would make for great condos and real estate. But with missiles being tested and sanctions in place, will Southeast Asian investors take the plunge?

Money • STORY OF THE DAY • Aug 14, 2019 • 14 min read

EU-ASEAN relations Stitched together

By Simon Roughneen • Aug 14, 2019
Citing human rights concerns, the EU is deciding whether to revoke duty-free market access for Cambodia’s exports, even as it tries to boost trade and defence ties with Southeast Asia

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Money • Aug 07, 2019 • 14 min read
Microfinance institutions

Left with nothing

With the backing of the world’s development agencies, Cambodia’s microfinance institutions stand accused of driving the nation’s most vulnerable ever deeper into debt – forcing them to sell off their land when the time comes to collect
By Paul Millar and Veng Sonita

Money • Aug 05, 2019 • 11 min read
Regional development

Free from darkness

Last year, the fishing village of Kwangko in Indonesia’s remote east was finally connected to the national electricity supply. But to close the gap between east and west, the nation’s infrastructure has miles to go
By Simon Roughneen

Money • Aug 01, 2019 • 6 min read
Analysis

Tired of winning

Vietnam has emerged as a key winner of Trump's trade war. But a wrong move could see the nation earning nothing but enemies in its triumph
By Nguyen Khac Giang

Money • Jul 25, 2019 • 10 min read
Infrastructure funding

No tax, no spend

Southeast Asia’s governments have some of the world’s smallest tax takes, leaving the region struggling to pay for infrastructure and budget for health and education
By Simon Roughneen

Money • Jul 16, 2019 • 15 min read
Piracy

A pirate’s paradise

In part two of our deep dive into modern-day piracy, we investigate why the region's governments seem willing to turn a blind eye to the pirates plundering their seas
By Robin Spiess

Money • Jul 15, 2019 • 14 min read
Piracy

Black spots

High-seas hijackings are often seen as a thing of the past. But experts say that Southeast Asia's modern-day pirates have just become better at hiding their crimes
By Robin Spiess

Money • Jul 05, 2019 • 10 min read
New media

Creative destruction

We sit down with some of the leading lights of Southeast Asia's media startup scene to talk about the way forward for the region's press
By Thomas Brent

Money • Jun 27, 2019 • 15 min read
Analysis

Debt traps

Cambodians are sinking deep in debt to meet their basic needs. And with the Kingdom's financial sector so reliant on foreign investment, it won't take much for the house of cards to come crashing down
By David Hutt