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China Steps In as Malaysia’s Data Center Surge Puts the Power Grid to the Test

Since 2024, Malaysia has emerged as a main data center hub in ASEAN, challenging Singapore’s long-standing dominance. As of early 2026, Malaysia has 34 existing data centers with 33 upcoming, according to data from the Malaysia Digital Investment Department.  However, ...

With Chen Heyi

Independent China-Southeast Asia Analyst

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Why Green Energy Will Be the Big Winner of the Iran Crisis
File image of a worker cleaning solar panels installed on the roof of the traditional Gedhe market in Klaten, Central Java. China’s $180 billion clean tech push is reshaping the Global South, with Indonesia a key test of who controls new green industries. (Photo: DEVI RAHMAN / AFP)
By Cobus van Staden, CGSP Head of Research Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks to fracking. 

China Steps In as Malaysia’s Data Center Surge Puts the Power Grid to the Test

Since 2024, Malaysia has emerged as a main data center hub in ASEAN, challenging Singapore’s long-standing dominance. As of early 2026, Malaysia has 34 existing data centers with 33 upcoming, according to data from the Malaysia Digital Investment Department.  However, ...

The Three Faces of Chinese Investment in Southeast Asia: SOEs, POEs, and MNEs

In 2025, China remained a top-three source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Southeast Asia, following only the U.S. and intra-Southeast Asian flows. While much of the investment falls under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it is important to distinguish between broad ...

As China Builds the Grid, Laos’s Power Ambitions Enter a New Phase

2026 marks a strategic turning point for Laos in its ambition to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia”, with two mega power transmission projects advancing this year. On the first day of January 2026, the 230 kV Thavieng-Mahaxay transmission line ...

China and ASEAN Enter a Pivotal Year, With Trade, AI and the South China Sea in Play

As 2026 begins, the China-ASEAN relationship is evolving across several fronts, including trade, Artificial Intelligence, infrastructure development, and South China Sea. With the ASEAN's chairmanship held by the Philippines, the year opens with distinct political and institutional dynamics for the region.  ...
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