By SPH Media
Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive produ
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The podcast currently has 788 episodes available.
While there is concern over trade policy, US investors remain bullish on business with Asean.
Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
With President-elect Donald Trump intent on using tariffs as a weapon - with the larger strategy of rejuvenating American manufacturing - there is concern that the US could retaliate against countries that have a big trade surplus with the United States.
Within the 10-nation Asean bloc, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand could become targets.
But Asean's growth and competitiveness remains attractive regardless. From 2022 to 2023, for example, foreign direct investment (FDI) declined in all regions of Asia except Asean. More broadly, intra-regional trade in Asia is expected to rise by 65% to US$400 billion (S$535 billion) a year by 2030, which is a good sign for US and Asean investors.
Growth opportunities include artificial intelligence, semiconductor production, digital commerce, medical devices, and mineral supply chains - and Asean countries are competing for investment.
In this episode, Ted Osius, a former US Ambassador to Vietnam and currently President and CEO of the US-Asean Business Council in Washington DC, shares with host Nirmal Ghosh, the business council’s concerns and wish list, and also why he thinks that, regardless of US government policy, investors are bullish on South-east Asia.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:10 The wish for a forward-looking US trade agenda remains as this region moves forward
7:23 From 2022 to 2023, FDI declined in all regions of Asia, except Asean
10:05 Which Asean countries are making real efforts to attract FDI?
12:48 Growth opportunities for US and Asean investors
13:30 Singapore a leading force in Asean, driving the digital economy framework
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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We examine the impact of the recent US presidential election result.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ associate foreign editor Lim Ai Leen and senior columnist Lin Suling meet up in the studio with Bhagyashree Garekar, The Straits Times’ United States bureau chief who covered the US presidential election all year long, and is back in Singapore for a short break.
In this episode, they discuss how Bhagya arrived at her early prediction of a Trump win before the Nov 5 election, how Trump played to the male and minority voters, global anti-incumbency election trends and how they think Asian countries will shape to deal with the impact.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:12 How Trump appealed to male voters in this 'woke' age, why Trump beat expectations to win the minority vote in the US
15:50 Political lessons for governments in Asia and how they relate to voters; expected impact from incoming Trump administration
17:54 Dissecting the dynamics of the phone call between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President-elect Donald Trump on Nov 11
24:00 Tariffs: Making sense of Trump's promises from the Asian perspective
27:50 3 words to define US politics in the incoming Trump era
Hosts: Lim Ai Leen ([email protected]) and Lin Suling ([email protected])
Follow Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Its warren of underground bunkers and tunnels, which sheltered the city’s residents during the heavy bombing of the Second Sino-Japanese war, are turned into lifestyle destinations today.
Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.
Chongqing bears a grim wartime history. As China’s wartime capital which Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government decamped to in 1937, it was heavily bombed during the Second Sino-Japanese war. Bunkers - some 16,000 - were built into the city’s hills and mountains, sheltering terrified residents as the bombs rained down.
Some eight decades on, the Chongqing government has given these underground shelters a new lease of life.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks to China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei about what it is like to be in those bunkers today, and why Chongqing is approaching its wartime past differently from other Chinese cities.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:39 Bookshops, car washes and mahjong sessions
2:51 A real coming to terms with its history?
8:24 Making the most of one’s past
14:04 The Straits Times sets up shop in Chongqing
Read Aw Cheng Wei’s article here: https://str.sg/w2Esn
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Political upheaval in Japan as its snap elections see the ruling party lose its majority, reshaping its ties with the US and Asia.
Synopsis: Join The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the Asian continent.
In this episode, Ravi speaks with Tobias Harris, founder of political risk consultancy Japan Foresight on the fallout from the stunning electoral reverses suffered by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following his decision to hold snap polls.
They discuss what the results, which saw the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party and allied party Komeito lose their parliamentary majority, mean for Japan, its alliance with the US, and its ties with wider Asia.
Tobias and Ravi also discuss how the results could impact on fiscal policy, and whether the government would now be forced to go in for further fiscal expansion.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:36 Japan’s political ‘earthquake’
4:33 Anger, frustration in Japan
7:50 Domestic priorities to be a focus
8:33 Japan’s foreign policy
17:55 Fiscal discipline will be difficult
21:17 A modernised LDP
Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])
Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Unless one candidate wins swing states decisively, a quick settlement is unlikely in America’s cliffhanger election.
Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
The United States’ presidential election, which polls show is currently in a statistical tie, is unlikely to be settled quickly unless one candidate decisively wins enough swing states - which remains a possibility.
Short of that however, both parties have armies of lawyers ready to file challenges to the result - with resolution potentially taking a long time, and concerns over instability in the interim.
While a Kamala Harris presidency would bring a degree of continuity to foreign policy - and possibly some push back against Israel’s conduct - a Donald Trump presidency would have echoes of his first term, in which he bristled against the traditional post World War II international order, bringing up issues even with American allies such as NATO. A second term would bring more transactionalism and disruption even as some countries would like to see him back in power. He has also claimed that he will end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.
From the eye of the gathering storm in an increasingly severely polarised America, senior journalist, author and veteran foreign correspondent Steven Herman, Chief National Correspondent of Voice of America, shares his views with Asian Insider host Nirmal Ghosh.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:17 The implications from the elections on foreign policies
5:05 Global perceptions of America and how some are eager to see Donald Trump return
6:33 Potential for political instability and the possibility of a long unresolved election
11:16 The public sentiment and political polarization of the elections
15:03 How Trump and Harris are looking at reaching out to younger audience through podcasts
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
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Navigating the US election scene - from Trump's rise to economic worries and the shifting tides of masculinity in politics.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ assistant foreign editor Clement Tan catches up with US bureau chief Bhagyashree Garekar to share her insights into the US presidential elections on Nov 5, 2024.
Clement Tan speaks with Bhagyashree Garekar, ST’s US bureau chief, about her experiences covering the US elections. They discuss the changes in American society, the rise of Trump, and the impact of inflation concerns on voter sentiment.
In this episode, Bhagya shares memorable encounters from her travels across the US, highlighting the political landscape and the growing diversity in the population. The conversation also touches on the psychological aspects of masculinity in politics and the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election results.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:51 Memorable encounters on the campaign trail
8:23 Changes in infrastructure and American society
12:33 The rise of Trump and white nationalism
16:41 Masculinity and political identity
18:57 Economic concerns and election predictions
Follow Clement Tan on X: https://str.sg/uErS
Read Clement Tan's articles: https://str.sg/Ep62
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Clement Tan ([email protected]) & Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Lynda Hong
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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US trade policy and US-China competition concerns are high on the minds of South-east Asia observers.
Synopsis: The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
Hardening strategic competition with China will remain front and centre of the foreign policy focus of the next US Administration in Washington DC. But while Asian countries have a mixed response to this superpower competition, most seek to stay on the right side of the United States and off the wrong side of China.
Ahead of the US presidential elections on Nov 5, South-east Asia would foresee more continuity under a Kamala Harris Administration, with the Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF, launched in 2022 by the Joe Biden Administration) continuing - while a second Donald Trump regime’s approach would be more bilateral, with Washington’s relations with individual countries shaped by factors such as trade deficits.
Within the broader context of US-China competition though, South-east Asian countries would be looking for more clarity from Washington on distinctions between trade and investment and economic issues, and national security concerns, as host Nirmal Ghosh finds out in this episode.
His guests are:
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:57 Directionally, the US-China relationship is going to be more tense… regardless of who wins on Nov 5
9:12 More fundamental understanding of the fragmented multi-polar and deconstructing international order
13:14 South-east Asia has been masterful at internationalising the search for autonomy; what could happen if there were to be a Trump 2.0 Administration?
16:02 How will Singapore fare? Why it will be very difficult for businesses and investors to do business or to invest if what's allowed today is not allowed tomorrow - for national security concerns
21:48 US-Asia relations: Why the threads of continuity are likely to overcome the threads of discontinuity
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Some are holding fast to their mother tongue, even with migration overseas, and are coming up with creative ways to spread the learning and use of Cantonese.
Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.
Want to pick up Cantonese? Some Hong Kongers - from a software engineer to a playgroup teacher based in Britain - have created new ways of learning the Chinese dialect such as through apps, videos and social media accounts.
This surge in a grassroots effort is coming at a time when many Hong Kongers are feeling unmoored by the political turbulence of the past decade. As more migrate to non-Cantonese speaking societies, they are holding fast to their identity and language in a foreign environment.
There are also growing fears that Cantonese in Hong Kong and Guangdong is a dying language with people abandoning it for English or Mandarin.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on how true such concerns are, and her assessment of these new Cantonese-language tools.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 Why Hong Kongers are championing the use of Cantonese
5:20 How these new tools are different from traditional methods
9:50 A living and constantly changing language
13:00 The situation in Guangdong
Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/AfVW
Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Why action is needed to avoid some countries being labelled as 'scam states'.
Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
With their heavy security, territorial control and global reach, we look at South-east Asia’s industrial-size scam compounds, where thousands are lured from low-employment countries to work as forced labour stealing billions of dollars from victims worldwide. They are a national security threat to the countries they are based in as well as to the countries they target.
The criminal organisations running these centres emanate mostly from China, and are physically located mainly in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar but across the region in other countries as well. Sporadic crackdowns of the type recently seen in Laos’ Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, are often choreographed ahead of time, enabling kingpins to evade them.
According to a report released in May by the US Institute of Peace (USIP), as at the end of 2023, scam centres operating out of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos had accounted for US$39 billion (S$50.1 billion) in stolen funds.
Jason Tower, Myanmar country director at USIP, joins host Nirmal Ghosh in this episode of Asian Insider to talk about the many aspects of this criminal industry, from human trafficking to forced labour and cybercrime.
He suggests that Malaysia - as the next chair of Asean - has an opportunity to exercise leadership as 2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Combating Transnational Crime.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:37 Victims from over 100 countries, with the average scam victim losing more or less all of their assets
5:17 Why Chinese police are becoming more proactive and responding to the situation
7:19 How scam compounds are extremely well-networked around the globe and can get advance information about an upcoming crackdown
11:22 The amounts brought in by these online scams can rival countries’ formal GDPs
15:50 Role of sanctions in combating scams - such as one on Ly Yong Phat, a notorious business figure involved in online scam compounds
19:32 A global crisis that demands action now
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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The seasoned Singapore diplomat is bullish on India and Asean but says the US should not be underestimated.
Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
Veteran Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani, never shy about sharing his views, is bullish on India and Asean, believes China will not invade Taiwan unless the island declares independence - and warns that no one should underestimate America.
In this episode, Mr Mahbubani says Europe should also revise its notions of being a global economic powerhouse, and the United Kingdom needs to give up its seat on the UN Security Council so India can take it.
Asean has been successful as a regional organisation in preventing Brexit-style breakaways as well as wars in the region - and by 2030 its combined economy will be bigger than Japan’s, Mr Mahbubani contends.
Pressure on China will grow regardless of who occupies the White House after America’s presidential election. In terms of tactics, Kamala Harris would be predictable, but Donald Trump would not.
Mr Mahbubani, currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, is among other things former Singapore Ambassador to the UN, former Permanent Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He has just published a new book titled Living The Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir."
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:54 Three geopolitical geniuses - Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and S. Rajaratnam
5:32 South-east Asia has an enormous agency; Asean will be bigger than Japan by 2030
8:46 "I am extremely bullish about the prospects of India," says Kishore Mahbubani
11:11 Chinese and Indian inventors are responsible for 20% of all US patents
15:04 Wars are draining
16:59 Near-universal consensus in Washington DC that the US has about 10 years to stop China from becoming No.1
18:44 You can’t predict what Donald Trump is going to do
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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