Asia Pacific
Risky Business: ‘First mover advantage’ or risk in Myanmar’s gold rush?
In the past year Myanmar has moved to the center of the frontier markets’ map for investors keen on a “first mover advantage”. However, increasingly lost amidst the hype is
Myanmar foreign investment law should inspire U.S. policy
Myanmar has signed the New York Convention, which essentially means that international business contracts in the country can now be predictably enforced. On March 6, the Myanmar Parliament agreed to
Thailand: Infrastructure or indictment
The future of the Thailand’s economy may well depend on the direction of the country’s judiciary going forward. The economic picture for Thailand has been overwhelmingly positive since the end
U.S. policy for Myanmar’s 2015 election
The election that will decide Myanmar’s political future will come in 2015, when 75% of the parliament will be up for grabs. Myanmar’s April 2012 by-elections have been hailed as
Malaysia’s looming general election: what it means for the economy
The upcoming elections will, arguably, be the most fiercely contested in the history of Malaysia since independence in 1957. Najib Razak, Malaysia’s Prime Minister (PM) has set the date of
If Abenomics is to succeed
The Bank of Japan’s quantitative easing program cannot by itself guarantee success of Abenomics. So, what additional developments should we look out for? It is obvious to anyone who pays
More Carrot? A Response to Robert S. Ross
This post responds to Robert S. Ross’s November/ December 2012 Foreign Affairs piece, The Problem with the Pivot. According to Ross, “The Obama administration has responded to Chinese assertiveness by reinforcing
One Chinese size fits all? Response to Allison and Blackwill
On January 28th the Financial Times published a piece by Harvard’s Graham Allison and CFR’s Robert Blackwill entitled Beijing still prefers diplomacy over force. This piece makes claims about China’s
Reasons a currency war could still be on the horizon
In February, G20 finance ministers and central bankers announced they would avoid currency devaluations and similar beggar-thy-neighbor policies. On the surface this might lead one to think that governments would
South Korea’s economy: Why the North won’t sink it
The South Korean economy has been sputtering of late. Economic growth slowed to 2% in 2012, falling from a more robust 3.7% in the previous year. Important sectors such as
