economic development



STORY OF THE DAY • Feb 25, 2020 • 13 min read

FDI in Vietnam Rise of the north

By Samantha McCabe • Feb 25, 2020
A long-term, export-driven vision has handed Hai Phong the title of Vietnam’s fastest-growing city in terms of GDP since 2015. Deep C is one firm that has contributed to the industrial city's transformation in recent years with their vision of creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly economic hub

STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 23, 2020 • 12 min read

Chinese investment Restoring Sihanoukville

By Andrew Haffner • Jan 23, 2020
Foreign investors rode a hot streak in Sihanoukville until the gambling game collapsed last summer. Now, with the boomtown at risk of going bust and the city decaying around them, long-term residents, local businesses and construction workers are picking up the pieces

STORY OF THE DAY • Nov 19, 2019 • 7 min read

China's economy Slowing down

By Kevin Livingston • Nov 19, 2019
Having benefitted from decades of breakneck growth in China, trade- and investment-dependent ASEAN is vulnerable to fluctuations in the world’s second-biggest economy

STORY OF THE DAY • Oct 23, 2019 • 10 min read

Timor-Leste Betting on black

By Sophie Raynor • Oct 23, 2019
Timor-Leste is racing against the clock to develop newly unlocked Timor Sea wealth before its coffers empty. We look at the different roads that could lead the country to prosperity

Dec 11, 2018 • 3 min read
World Bank

East Asian countries must adapt to match most developed nations

If countries across East Asia intend to sustain the growth of their economies, policy makers are going to need to accommodate a changing global and economic environment, according to a recent World Bank report
By Robin Spiess • Dec 11, 2018

Nov 09, 2018 • 5 min read
Japan and China

Rivalry reborn

As China and Japan vie for dominant influence in Southeast Asia, the region benefits from the aid it receives from both economic giants
By Malcolm Cook • Nov 09, 2018

Jun 25, 2018 • 5 min read
Overcoming the outages

How to keep the lights on in Myanmar

With more than four out of ten people in Myanmar without access to electricity, the nation's economic development relies on the government's willingness to pursue alternative energy sources
By Jeremy Mullins • Jun 25, 2018

Mar 08, 2015 • 14 min read
Anti-corruption

Touching up Cambodia

After years of floundering near the foot of global rankings on a range of development indicators, Cambodia is finally taking some steps in the right direction
By Daniel Besant • Mar 08, 2015

Oct 16, 2014 • 8 min read

The life business

Focus Asean sits down with Prudential Corporation Asia’s chairman to discuss the bloc’s insurance challenges, such as its rapidly ageing population
By Tassilo Brinzer and Joana Maria Tacken • Oct 16, 2014

Aug 28, 2013 • 7 min read
Development

The view from the bottom

In a city of extremes, what does the boom look like from the perspective of the urban poor?
By Marcus Tudehope • Aug 28, 2013

Jan 14, 2013 • 7 min read

To unity and beyond

Asean is well down the path towards integration, but the biggest challenges lie ahead
By Christian Vits • Jan 14, 2013