News

Mar. 4 – The Minister for Finance delivered Singapore’s yearly budget to the Singapore Parliament last week. The main focus of the budget was to continue the process of restructuring Singapore’s economy by increasing the productivity of its workforce, reducing Singapore’s dependence on its foreign workforce and providing incentives to encourage local businesses to be […]

Mar. 1 – The Malaysian state of Sabah has been in the headlines after a group of Philippine tribes, lead by the Sultan of Sulu, sailed from their home base in the remote Southern area of the Philippines to stake a claim on the Malaysian territory. The Sultan, now aged 74, has lead a group […]

In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we discuss why China is no longer the only solution for export-driven businesses, and how the evolution of trade in Asia is determining that locations such as Vietnam and India represent competitive alternatives.

Mar. 1 – The Singaporean Government recently released its 2013 budget in which it revealed new measures totaling SG$5.9 billion aimed at helping businesses, facilitating investment and spurring further growth. Corporate income tax was a targeted issue, with the Government announcing that it would provide a 30 percent tax rebate on tax assessments during 2013-2015. […]

In this issue of China Briefing, we focus on the minutiae of trading with China – regardless of whether your business has a presence in the country or not.

Feb. 28 – The invention of the internet created an accelerated growth route for countries and companies, transforming the world into a place in which digital connections are just as important as human connections. Despite the internet originating in North America, it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, rapidly expanding internationally. Thanks to the growing […]

Feb. 28 – The cultural and work ethic differences between China and democratic Asia have been bought into sharp focus with the jailing in Singapore of four Chinese bus drivers and the deportation of a further 29. The incident occurred after the drivers, hired from a mainland agency, decided to go on strike after learning […]

Feb. 27 – The Chinese state news agency Xinhua has reported that Chinese troops have been undergoing intensive training near Yunnan’s border with Myanmar as fighting intensifies between Myanmar’s Government forces and the Kachin separatists. Some military shells have already landed in West Yunnan, leading China to step up its surveillance of the deteriorating situation. […]

By Alex Tangkilisan Feb. 27 – In the third part of our ASEAN-India Free Trade Area analysis, we will examine trade trends and statistics from India to Cambodia, Brunei, Laos and the Philippines. While the Philippines is part of the ASEAN six majors, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos are the three smallest economies in the region. […]

Feb. 22 – Malaysia recorded better than expected GDP growth figures in the fourth quarter of 2012, with its economy growing by 6.4 percent. The total annual growth for last year hit 5.6 percent, higher than the expectations of most analysts. Both government spending on infrastructure projects and a solid consumer base contributed to Malaysia’s […]