Trump and his team appear to pay little attention to the region, but whether by accident or design his policies are fundamentally altering Southeast Asia’s trajectory.

The Diplomat Economy

16.07.2025

Why Indonesia Now Has Two State-Owned Investment Funds – The Diplomat

Danantara and the Indonesia Investment Authority differ considerably in terms of their function within Indonesia’s political economy.

The Diplomat Economy

15.07.2025

Sri Lanka’s Tariff Shock – The Diplomat

Overdependence on a few markets and a narrow base of products has made the country vulnerable.

The Diplomat Economy

15.07.2025

Indonesia, EU Announce Agreement to Advance Free Trade Pact – The Diplomat

Facing significant U.S. tariffs, Jakarta and Brussels have expedited negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The Diplomat Economy

11.07.2025

Is China Entering Its ‘Japan Moment’? – The Diplomat

China’s economy is nowhere near a breaking point – but it is unmistakably slowing down.

The Diplomat Economy

11.07.2025

How Tajikistan’s Banks Help Russian Citizens Bypass SWIFT Ban – The Diplomat

A new investigation and proliferating online ads reveal how Russian citizens send money to European bank accounts despite Western sanctions.

The Diplomat Economy

11.07.2025

South Korean Banks, the EU, and the Failure of Microfinance in Cambodia – The Diplomat

Many of the serious problems with the country’s microfinance sector were present at its inception in the 1990s.

The Diplomat Economy

11.07.2025

Jakarta-Riyadh Convergence: Prabowo’s Saudi Outreach and the Pursuit of Foreign Investment – The Diplomat

The growing synergy between Jakarta and Riyadh reflects not only economic alignment but also a stronger convergence in navigating the evolving global order.

The Diplomat Economy

11.07.2025

Beware the ‘Diderot Effect’ of Southeast Asian Development – The Diplomat

Is the region’s obsession with infrastructure mega-projects economically misplaced?

The Diplomat Economy

10.07.2025

Trump’s New Tariffs Say More Than Just Numbers – The Diplomat

A foreign policy based on coercion, but lacking predictability and institutional commitment, could see the United States cut itself off from the global network of trust.

The Diplomat Economy

10.07.2025

Reflecting on the Vietnam Communist Party’s Soliloquy to the Private Sector – The Diplomat

If Resolution 68 is to be believed, state-owned enterprises are about to lose what remains of their special privileges.

The Diplomat Economy

10.07.2025

New Trump Tariffs Target Kazakhstan With 25% Rate – The Diplomat

A letter to the Kazakh president stated, “Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Kazakhstan a Tariff of only 25% on any and all Kazakh products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs.”

The Diplomat Economy

09.07.2025

The Path to a US-India Trade Deal Lies Through Economic Security – The Diplomat

A broader trade agreement, including cooperation on key supply chains, foreign investment, and advanced technologies makes a deal more likely and can help the U.S. and India more effectively counter China.

The Diplomat Economy

08.07.2025

The West Can’t Survive the Sanctions It Needs to Deter China – The Diplomat

The West still believes that sanctions signal resolve. China has already moved on to testing what happens when they don’t.

The Diplomat Economy

05.07.2025

Cambodia, US Nearing Agreement on Trade, Phnom Penh Says – The Diplomat

Among the ASEAN nations, Cambodia is the most potentially exposed to any sudden shift in U.S. trade policy.

The Diplomat Economy

05.07.2025

‘Birds of a Feather’ Shaped East Asia’s Development ‘Miracles’ – The Diplomat

How shared backgrounds among policy elites powered the economic rise of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China.

The Diplomat Economy

05.07.2025

Indonesia Offers to Purchase $34 Billion in US Goods Ahead of Tariff Deadline – The Diplomat

It remains to be seen whether the agreement, set to be signed next week, will secure a significant reduction in the 32 percent “reciprocal” tariff.

The Diplomat Economy

04.07.2025

China’s Accelerating Efforts to Internationalize the Renminbi – The Diplomat

China is pursuing a strategy of selective RMB integration – eschewing full capital account liberalization and avoiding a direct challenge to dollar hegemony.

The Diplomat Economy

04.07.2025

Why South Korea Needs a Trade Deal With the United States – The Diplomat

Without a new deal or an extension to the talks, South Korea will face a series of new tariffs from the United States that will significantly impact its economy.

The Diplomat Economy

04.07.2025

Trump Says US and Vietnam Have Reached an Agreement on Tariffs – The Diplomat

Washington has agreed to lower its threatened 46 percent tariff on imports from Vietnam in return for increased access to the Vietnamese market.

The Diplomat Economy

03.07.2025

Asian Universities Rise in Global Sustainability Leadership Rankings – The Diplomat

Amid global SDG funding gaps, Asian universities are stepping up as leaders in sustainable finance, driving research and innovation to shape a more sustainable future.

The Diplomat Economy

03.07.2025

ASEAN and the China-US Trade War – The Diplomat

Insights from Sharon Seah.

The Diplomat Economy

03.07.2025

The Deadline for Trump’s ‘Reciprocal Tariffs’ Is Looming – The Diplomat

How are other countries responding to the threat that the U.S. tariffs will be re-applied from July 9?

The Diplomat Economy

03.07.2025

How Indonesia Is Using Its Green Sukuk – The Diplomat

The increasing use of these Islamic financial instruments reflects the growing sophistication of Indonesia’s capital markets.

The Diplomat Economy

02.07.2025

Indonesia to Relax Import Restrictions as US Tariff Deadline Looms – The Diplomat

Jakarta says that the measures will aid its tariff negotiations with the Trump administration, while advancing its broader economic goals.

The Diplomat Economy

02.07.2025

Silicon Statecraft Alignment: Taiwan’s Strategic Bet on US-Led Export Controls – The Diplomat

Taiwan’s June 10 entity list update is no mere technical fine-tuning – it marks a shift in both regulatory burden-sharing and further security alignment with the U.S.

The Diplomat Economy

02.07.2025

How Russia Used Kyrgyzstan to Reopen Its Financial Escape Routes – The Diplomat

Sanctions enforcement continues to rely on static lists of named entities and accounts when evasion networks are built to morph and reroute at every point of friction.

The Diplomat Economy

01.07.2025

Not Just Shock Absorbers: How ASEAN Is Shaping the China Trade Balance – The Diplomat

Even as China turns to the region to manage overcapacity and geopolitical headwinds, Southeast Asia will continue to shape trade on its own terms.

The Diplomat Economy

28.06.2025

Iran-Israel War Disrupts Life Along Pakistan’s Balochistan Border – The Diplomat

Islamabad needs to assess the implications of the recent war not just from a security or foreign policy lens, but as a humanitarian concern.

The Diplomat Economy

28.06.2025

Achieving Australian Abundance – The Diplomat

As Treasurer Jim Chalmers put it, “We want good things to happen, we’ve got to stop strangling good things from happening.”

The Diplomat Economy

28.06.2025

How 90 Days of Accelerated Trade Alliances Reshaped Southeast Asia – The Diplomat

The U.S. government’s “reciprocal tariffs” have prompted a rapid overhaul of trade blocs in the Asia-Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia.

The Diplomat Economy

27.06.2025

How to Engineer Global Dependence: China’s Formula for Building a Rare Earth Edge – The Diplomat

Beijing’s dominance in the rare earth industry is the result of decades of targeted state efforts – and a willingness to absorb financial losses for strategic gain.

The Diplomat Economy

26.06.2025

India’s Economic Growth Masks a Deeper Malaise – The Diplomat

Robust economic objectives can be achieved not just by spouting numbers but when growth is equitable.

The Diplomat Economy

24.06.2025

Is China Ready to Join CPTPP? – The Diplomat

And does it even need to?

The Diplomat Economy

24.06.2025

A Business Hub for Central Asia’s Elite? What to Expect From Alatau – The Diplomat

While Tokayev’s vision of a futurist Singapore-style city is slowly getting started, it takes a different development approach than Astana did. Still, questions over financing and local impact persist.

The Diplomat Economy

21.06.2025

China, Kyrgyzstan, and the Quiet Construction of a Sanctions-Resistant Trade Corridor – The Diplomat

Every dollar that moves from Shenzhen to Bishkek to Moscow teaches China something new about how to operate in a sanctions-constrained world.

The Diplomat Economy

20.06.2025

Why Thailand Shelved the ‘Digital Wallet’ Scheme – The Diplomat

The multibillion-dollar stimulus plan did little to address the longer-term structural challenges facing the Thai economy.

The Diplomat Economy

20.06.2025

Is a Broad Free Trade Coalition Possible? – The Diplomat

Or are we doomed to repeat the rise of economic blocs that preceded the world wars?

The Diplomat Economy

20.06.2025

Taiwan Adds New Export Controls on China’s Chip Industry – The Diplomat

The blacklisting of Huawei and SMIC signifies a conscious shift in Taiwan’s role from a neutral supplier in the tech ecosystem to an assertive actor.

The Diplomat Economy

20.06.2025

Russia’s Arctic Bet: Can Asia Deliver on NSR Ambitions? – The Diplomat

Moscow sees China, India, and other Asian powers as critical for the future of the Northern Sea Route, but their involvement remains limited.

home›The Diplomat Economy›Economy

The Diplomat Economy - Economy

Trump Is Reshaping Southeast Asia’s Future. Does He Realize That? – The Diplomat

Why Indonesia Now Has Two State-Owned Investment Funds – The Diplomat

Sri Lanka’s Tariff Shock – The Diplomat

Indonesia, EU Announce Agreement to Advance Free Trade Pact – The Diplomat

Is China Entering Its ‘Japan Moment’? – The Diplomat

How Tajikistan’s Banks Help Russian Citizens Bypass SWIFT Ban – The Diplomat

South Korean Banks, the EU, and the Failure of Microfinance in Cambodia – The Diplomat

Jakarta-Riyadh Convergence: Prabowo’s Saudi Outreach and the Pursuit of Foreign Investment – The Diplomat

Beware the ‘Diderot Effect’ of Southeast Asian Development – The Diplomat

Trump’s New Tariffs Say More Than Just Numbers – The Diplomat

Reflecting on the Vietnam Communist Party’s Soliloquy to the Private Sector – The Diplomat

New Trump Tariffs Target Kazakhstan With 25% Rate – The Diplomat

The Path to a US-India Trade Deal Lies Through Economic Security – The Diplomat

The West Can’t Survive the Sanctions It Needs to Deter China – The Diplomat

Cambodia, US Nearing Agreement on Trade, Phnom Penh Says – The Diplomat

‘Birds of a Feather’ Shaped East Asia’s Development ‘Miracles’ – The Diplomat

Indonesia Offers to Purchase $34 Billion in US Goods Ahead of Tariff Deadline – The Diplomat

China’s Accelerating Efforts to Internationalize the Renminbi – The Diplomat

Why South Korea Needs a Trade Deal With the United States – The Diplomat

Trump Says US and Vietnam Have Reached an Agreement on Tariffs – The Diplomat

Asian Universities Rise in Global Sustainability Leadership Rankings – The Diplomat

ASEAN and the China-US Trade War – The Diplomat

The Deadline for Trump’s ‘Reciprocal Tariffs’ Is Looming – The Diplomat

How Indonesia Is Using Its Green Sukuk – The Diplomat

Indonesia to Relax Import Restrictions as US Tariff Deadline Looms – The Diplomat

Silicon Statecraft Alignment: Taiwan’s Strategic Bet on US-Led Export Controls – The Diplomat

How Russia Used Kyrgyzstan to Reopen Its Financial Escape Routes – The Diplomat

Not Just Shock Absorbers: How ASEAN Is Shaping the China Trade Balance – The Diplomat

Iran-Israel War Disrupts Life Along Pakistan’s Balochistan Border – The Diplomat

Achieving Australian Abundance – The Diplomat

How 90 Days of Accelerated Trade Alliances Reshaped Southeast Asia – The Diplomat

How to Engineer Global Dependence: China’s Formula for Building a Rare Earth Edge – The Diplomat

India’s Economic Growth Masks a Deeper Malaise – The Diplomat

Is China Ready to Join CPTPP? – The Diplomat

A Business Hub for Central Asia’s Elite? What to Expect From Alatau – The Diplomat

China, Kyrgyzstan, and the Quiet Construction of a Sanctions-Resistant Trade Corridor – The Diplomat

Why Thailand Shelved the ‘Digital Wallet’ Scheme – The Diplomat

Is a Broad Free Trade Coalition Possible? – The Diplomat

Taiwan Adds New Export Controls on China’s Chip Industry – The Diplomat

Russia’s Arctic Bet: Can Asia Deliver on NSR Ambitions? – The Diplomat

home
›
The Diplomat Economy
›
Economy