Philippines

The Philippines, an economy of 100 million people, was a founding member of APEC. When the forum was founded in 1989, the Philippines had a real GDP of 91 billion, and a per capita GDP of 1,500. By 2016, the Philippines’ GDP was more than doubled at USD 284 billion, while its per capita GDP rose to USD 2,700.

[Analytics] 2019: Year of rough seas for Philippines in the face of belligerent China

Yes, the Chinese have been sneaking in and around the West Philippine Sea before, but…

South & Southeast

First pure-play digital bank in SE Asia receives bank licence approval to operate in the Philippines

MANILA, Jan 9, 2020, The Business Times. TONIK Financial’s subsidiary in the Philippines, TONIK Digital…

[Analytics] SE Asia slowly but surely sinking into the sea

Ho Chi Minh City is constantly flooded, while Bangkok continues to sink below sea level….

South & Southeast

Duterte offers new deals to Maynilad, Manila Water concessionaires

MANILA, Jan 7, 2020, Rappler. After lashing out at Maynilad and Manila Water over supposed…

[Analytics] Aloof Indonesia wades into South China Sea fray

Indonesia has abandoned its previous quiet diplomacy to openly confront China’s repeated incursions in its…

[Analytics] China trade questions confound Australia’s Indo-Pacific shift

The ‘Indo-Pacific’, stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Pacific, is the Australian government’s…

[Analytics] East vs West battle for SE Asia’s 5G rollout

Chinese telecom giant Huawei predicted in late December that the number of 5G connections worldwide…

Japan, China, S. Korea step up banking cooperation with ASEAN

TOKYO, Jan 4, 2020, Kyodo. Government-backed development banks of Japan, China and South Korea have…

Indonesia protests China boats in its EEZ

JAKARTA, Dec 31, 2019, Reuters. Indonesia has protested to Beijing over the presence of a…

South & Southeast