This week saw a notable new wrinkle in one of the key geopolitical soap operas of our time. For the first time since the Second World War, Japan launched “an offensive weapon” outside of its territory, triggering immediate fury in Beijing.
The firing of a Type 88 subsonic, mobile anti-ship missile happened as part of the Balikatan 2026 joint military exercises with the United States and the Philippines, which ...
Category: Gross Domestic Product GDP
China Poised for Q1 GDP Growth Rebound but Iran War Dims 2026 Outlook
By Kevin Yao, China's economy likely regained some momentum in the first quarter on solid exports. Still, growth is expected to cool over the rest of 2026 as the Middle East crisis threatens to choke corporate profits and sap overseas demand, ...
Vietnam’s China-Linked Growth Brings It Closer to Thailand’s GDP
Vietnam’s economy is expanding quickly enough to close on Thailand in nominal gross domestic product, driven by state-led investment and export growth. Thailand is facing slower growth. Vietnam could potentially overtake Thailand in nominal gross domestic product this year or next, ...
Thailand 2025 Growth Slashed Amid China Slowdown, U.S. Tariffs
Thailand’s economic planning agency sharply lowered its 2025 GDP growth forecast amid global trade tensions, weak domestic demand, and a slowdown in Chinese tourism. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) on Monday revised Thailand’s 2025 growth forecast to ...
Philippines Trade Deficit Hits $4.13B as Import from China Surge Outpaces Exports
The Philippines' trade deficit widened sharply to $4.13 billion in March 2025, up 23.1% from a year earlier. Surging imports outpaced modest export gains, highlighting persistent structural vulnerabilities in the country’s trade dynamics. Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority ...
Vietnam Poised to be Asia-Pacific Fastest Growing Economy in 2026: World Bank
Vietnam is poised to become the fastest-growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region in 2026. The World Bank projects a GDP growth rate of 6.3%, followed by the Philippines at 6% and Indonesia at 5.1%. In its latest ‘Global Economic ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
China Will Keep Driving Global Growth: Xi
Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will keep powering global economic expansion and that the country will meet its 5% GDP growth target. The comments come a day after the CPC politburo announced the first monetary easing in fourteen years to boost ...
Asia’s Growth Faces Uncertainty Amid U.S. Policy Shifts: ADB Report
Asia's emerging economies are projected to experience the effects of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's 2025 policies, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today. East Asia may face slower GDP growth due to trade ties with China, ...