Category: Asia Focus

SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026 opened in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, putting Malaysia at the centre of a regional push to capture a larger share of the global semiconductor value chain as chipmakers rethink production networks, sourcing risks and capacity plans.

The three-day industry gathering at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre runs from 5 to 7 May and is expected to draw more than 20,000 policymakers, manufacturers, suppliers, investors, researchers and technology specialists. Held under the theme “Transform Tomorrow”, the

Malaysia’s political pressure over alleged “corporate mafia” links inside the country’s anti-graft machinery has intensified after Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo urged the national police chief to clarify the status of investigations into claims that businessmen colluded with enforcement officials to force corporate executives out of targeted companies.

Gobind, who is also national chairman of the Democratic Action Party and MP for Damansara, called on Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail to state whether individuals and companies cited in the allegations had

Auto China 2026 closed in Beijing on Sunday after setting new benchmarks for scale, attendance and vehicle premieres, reinforcing China’s position as the central battleground for electric vehicles, intelligent driving and next-generation automotive supply chains.

The 19th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, held from April 24 to May 3, brought together nearly 1,000 companies from 26 countries and regions across two venues for the first time. Its 380,000 square metres of exhibition space, spread across 17 halls at the China International Exhibition

Beijing has moved from denunciation to direct legal defiance of US sanctions, ordering companies and financial institutions under its jurisdiction not to recognise or comply with American penalties imposed on five refiners accused of involvement in Iranian oil trade.

The order, issued by the Ministry of Commerce on 2 May, marks China’s first known use of a formal blocking mechanism against US sanctions on domestic companies. It targets measures against Hengli Petrochemical Refinery Co, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co, Shandong

Asian equities advanced sharply on Monday as artificial intelligence-linked chipmakers in South Korea and Taiwan drove regional benchmarks back towards record territory, erasing the losses triggered by the Iran war and restoring investor appetite for technology-heavy markets.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose as much as 2.3 per cent on May 4, its strongest intraday gain since April 8, while the MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index climbed as much as 2.9 per cent.

Japan’s yen rallied sharply against the dollar on Friday as traders braced for further official action from Tokyo after suspected currency intervention jolted global markets during a packed week of central bank decisions.

The dollar fell to around 155.60 yen at one point in London trading, before recovering part of the move to trade near 156.40. The rebound in the yen followed a dramatic reversal on Thursday, when the Japanese currency strengthened by about

Porsche Design Tower Bangkok has intensified competition in Southeast Asia’s branded residence market after being presented to global yacht collectors at the Singapore Yachting Festival 2026 as a limited-edition property aimed at ultra-high-net-worth buyers seeking design pedigree, privacy and collectible real estate.

The 21-storey tower, rising 95 metres on Sukhumvit 38 in Bangkok’s Thonglor district, is being developed through a collaboration between Porsche Design and Ananda Development. It is the first Porsche Design Tower

Hong Kong recorded its widest visible trade deficit since comparable records began in 1952, as imports outpaced a powerful export rebound driven by demand for artificial intelligence-related electronics and high-value technology goods.

The city’s merchandise trade gap widened to HK$89.1 billion in March 2026, equal to 12.6 per cent of the value of imports. Total exports rose 35.8 per cent year on year to HK$618.4 billion, while imports jumped 41.2 per cent to HK$707.5 billion, underscoring the unusual scale of the

Beijing’s move to sharpen penalties for unauthorised rare earth production sent shares of major producers higher, as investors assessed a tougher enforcement regime that could curb illegal supply and reinforce China’s control over a sector central to clean energy, defence and advanced manufacturing.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has opened public consultation on detailed penalty benchmarks under the Rare

Japan has set up a financial-sector task force to assess risks from advanced artificial intelligence systems capable of discovering software flaws at a speed that could outpace existing cyber defences, deepening official concern over the resilience of banks, exchanges and payment infrastructure.

The move follows high-level talks involving the Financial Services Agency, the Bank of Japan, national cyber security officials, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group and Japan Exchange Group. The focus is Anthropic’s Mythos, a

flydubai will begin daily flights to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport on July 1, expanding its Thailand network beyond Krabi and adding a second entry point into one of Southeast Asia’s busiest travel markets. The service will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport under the carrier’s codeshare partnership with Emirates, giving passengers onward access across a wider global network.

The move is more than a straightforward route launch. It signals how Dubai’s low-cost carrier is sharpening its focus

Thailand has wrapped up the second Thailand Kickboxing World Cup in Bangkok and used the event to unveil KATPRO, a new professional league aimed at turning the country into a more prominent force in global kickboxing. The tournament was staged at the Bangkok Youth Center, also known as the Thai-Japanese Youth Center, with WAKO listing the event in Bangkok from 7 to 12 April 2026, while organisers said the main World Cup

Dubai Chambers has stepped up its push to build stronger commercial ties with the Philippines, holding meetings in Manila with influential business groups and leading companies as it seeks to turn rising trade flows into broader investment and sector partnerships. The talks came days after Dubai International Chamber opened its representative office in the Philippine capital, underlining a coordinated effort to deepen its presence in a market that Dubai sees as strategically important for trade, services and expansion across Asia.

China has launched a new satellite designed to track greenhouse gases with greater precision, adding a fresh layer of space-based monitoring to the country’s climate and environmental data network.

The satellite lifted off aboard a Long March-4C rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-west China at 12:10 pm Beijing time on April 17. State media said the spacecraft entered its planned orbit successfully, marking the 638th mission of the Long March

Oman and Thailand moved to deepen economic and diplomatic engagement during a high-level meeting in Muscat, with both sides focusing on trade, investment, tourism and institutional cooperation as they seek to turn cordial political ties into broader commercial gains. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman, received Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, during

UBS has lost senior wealth banker Lionel Yoong from its Singapore-based Indonesia coverage team, marking another departure from a franchise that has already seen several exits tied to the market since the start of last year. The move comes as the Swiss bank continues to reshape parts of its Asian private banking business following its takeover of Credit Suisse and while it pushes expansion in other wealth centres, including Hong Kong.

Yoong had been one of the named leaders on

South Korea is drawing a new wave of travellers who no longer see beauty as a shopping category alone but as a reason to travel. What began with online demand for Korean serums, masks and sunscreens has widened into a tourism stream built around dermatology appointments, skin clinics, make-up studios, scalp care, wellness packages and cosmetic procedures, with Seoul at its centre. Official data show the country’s tourism and medical visitor numbers have climbed sharply, giving stronger backing to the

Singapore has rejected a pair of United States trade investigations that question its manufacturing profile and its enforcement against goods linked to forced labour, arguing that Washington’s claims do not fit the data and risk distorting a long-established commercial relationship between the two economies. The pushback, filed with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, has now been reinforced by Singapore’s business community, which says the city-state’s export performance is tied to demand, capital intensity and supply-chain positioning rather

China’s economy expanded faster than expected in the first quarter, giving Beijing a firmer platform as it confronts the fallout from the war involving Iran, but the details beneath the headline number pointed to a recovery still leaning heavily on industry and exports while households remain cautious. Official data released on Thursday showed gross domestic product grew 5.0% from a year earlier in January to March, above the 4.8% forecast in a Reuters

Malaysia is positioning itself as a discreet diplomatic channel between Gulf capitals and Tehran, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim saying leaders from the Arab world have asked Kuala Lumpur to convey their concerns to Iran’s leadership as governments search for ways to contain the Middle East conflict. Anwar made the remarks in Putrajaya on 16 April during a joint appearance with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, adding a new dimension to Malaysia’s

Asian equities pushed higher on Thursday as hopes of a diplomatic opening in the US-Iran conflict combined with solid corporate earnings to lift sentiment across the region, extending a rebound that has carried global benchmarks back towards, and in some cases beyond, their pre-war highs. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose about 0.9 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei jumped 2.2 per cent to a fresh record, tracking Wall Street gains after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended

China is set to issue 15.5 billion yuan in sovereign bonds in Hong Kong on 22 April, marking its largest offshore yuan government bond sale in the city since 2023 and adding to the pool of renminbi assets available to global investors at a time when geopolitical strain and inflation fears have unsettled many other markets. The Ministry of Finance disclosed the plan on 15 April, with detailed tender arrangements to be published

China’s export growth lost momentum sharply in March, offering the clearest sign yet that the war centred on Iran is beginning to weigh on the world’s second-largest economy through higher energy costs, disrupted shipping patterns and weaker overseas demand. Official trade data showed exports rose 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, far below market expectations and down from the 21.8 per cent jump recorded in the combined January-February period.

The slowdown matters because overseas sales have been doing much

China’s President Xi Jinping used talks in Beijing with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday to press for closer ties with Madrid, casting Spain as a useful partner at a time of what he described as a “crumbling” international order. The meeting placed Spain at the centre of China’s broader effort to keep channels open with Europe as trade frictions, security tensions and strategic rivalry with Washington continue to reshape diplomacy.

Sánchez, on his fourth trip to China in