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China-Linked Platforms Gain Ground in Southeast Asia, With Vietnam Leading the Next Phase of Growth

Chinese e-commerce companies are solidifying their dominance of Southeast Asia's rapidly expanding online shopping market, accounting for as much as half of business-to-consumer e-commerce, according to a new study by the consulting firm Bain. While Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines ...

Pentagon Chief Hegseth Set for Multi-Country Asia Tour

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit four Asian countries in the coming days, the Pentagon announced Sunday, his second tour of the "priority" region where Washington is urging increased spending by allies to counter China. The Pentagon said in a ...

Apple to Work with China’s BYD in Vietnam Amid Pledges to Invest in China

The U.S. tech behemoth Apple announced it will produce a range of new home appliances in Vietnam. The appliances include indoor security cameras, a hub from which home appliances can be controlled remotely, and a tabletop robot. While the move is being framed in the tech press ...

China’s Export Surge Masks a Growing Risk for Developing Economies

New Chinese trade data released on Monday reveals that developing countries are now the frontline in the rapidly escalating trade war between Beijing and Washington. Chinese exports in September surged 8.3%, according to new data released by the General Administration of ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Vietnam Surpasses China in U.S. Apparel Market

Brazil exported 77 million tons of soybeans to China in the first eight months of the year, more than enough to offset the loss of the U.S. as a supplier, according to new data from the American Farm Bureau Federation.  The group also noted U.S. exports of corn, wheat, and ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Vietnam Now Second in Southeast Asia’s China-Led EV Market

China’s low-priced electric cars are powering Southeast Asia’s EV surge, and Vietnam has emerged as the region’s No. 2 market year-to-date on company-reported figures, closing on Thailand’s lead. The comparison is based on Vietnam’s total, which reflects VinFast deliveries, ...

Chinese FDI in Vietnam Rises as Payouts Hit 5-Year High

Chinese FDI in Vietnam ranked as the second source of newly licensed foreign projects in Vietnam in the first nine months of 2025, according to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office (NSO). The country reported $18.8 billion in realized foreign direct investment ...

China–ASEAN Trade Nears $1,05 Trillion as Surplus Hits $278 Billion

China and ASEAN are set to pass the trade threshold in 2025, with nearly $1.05 trillion in goods. That would leave China with a surplus that swells past $278 billion, a big step up from 2024. Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the ...

U.S. Tariffs Hit China’s Exports; Pressure Rises in Southeast Asia

China’s exports to the United States fell 25% between April and August 2025, about $57 billion, yet shipments redirected to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe helped offset the hit, a recent UNDP study finds. Southeast Asia took the most significant ...

China-Backed Free Trade Giant RCEP Mulls Expansion and Upgrade

China-backed trade platform in Asia, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), will return to the leaders’ level in October for the first time since 2020. Malaysia, the summit host, says the 15-economy pact will consider targeted upgrades and weigh applications ...

CAEXPO Wrap: China Pitches an Operating System for ASEAN Trade

China wrapped CAEXPO in Nanning with a pitch that goes beyond product sales. The expo presented AI-ready factory “cells,” a low-speed autonomous shuttle, and a Beibu Gulf satellite. It also showcases vocational pipelines and an ACFTA 3.0 upgrade. The offer ...

China Leads Vietnam’s Electronics Component Imports, $33.5 Billion in 2025

China was the largest supplier of computers, electronic products, and components to Vietnam in January–August. Imports from China reached $33.5 billion, placing it ahead of South Korea at $24.1 billion, Taiwan at nearly $15 billion, and Japan at $5.4 billion. ...
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