Asian Insider

Trump's stroking of Xi and talk of a G-2 with China is vexing Asian middle powers Japan and India.

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this episode, Ravi hosts two experts on geopolitics – Prof Tomohiko Taniguchi, former foreign policy adviser to the Shinzo Abe Cabinet in Japan, and Dr Sanjaya Baru, geoeconomist and media adviser to the late Indian PM Manmohan Singh.

They both explain what their respective countries make of the spectacular welcome President Donald Trump gave President Xi Jinping in the Sept 23-25 summit that took place in Washington DC.

They also discuss the evolving nature of Japan's and India’s bilateral relationships with the US, including talk of ‘derisking’ from Washington.

Highlights (click/tap above)

1:30 Was the carpet ‘red’ enough?

5:30 Key takeaways from the summit

9:30 Is Xi bending Trump’s ear on Asia?

14:00 ‘De-risking’ from the US is on

18:40 Free and open Indo-Pacific, Quad

22:30 Middle East conundrum

Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani & Amirul Karim

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Trump and Xi are nudging the bilateral relationship from confrontation to stability, says Chan Heng Chee.

Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and geopolitical talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Singapore's Ambassador At-Large Chan Heng Chee about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade.

The pomp-filled visit included a rare sight; President Donald Trump and his wife Melania waited at the tarmac to greet President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan as they landed in Washington DC.

Critics have dismissed the September 23-25 summit as heavy on symbolism and lacking in substance. 

Chan, who served as Singapore's envoy to the US for 16 years, says building a rapport counts as a worthy outcome. “When you have a relationship, you can make a deal, solve problems,” she said. 

“The Chinese will miss Trump when he's gone,” she added, noting that the charismatic American leader, serving his last term in office, had taken risks in reaching out to a rival.

The stabilisation, which is still fragile, will benefit the region, she said. “We want to see the two great powers getting on because we do not want to be third-party collateral,” she said while spelling out the stakes for South-east Asia.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:50 What's noteworthy about the September summit?

8:00  How far can a good rapport take them?

11:20 What could two more meetings this year produce?

15:40 Why Pax Silica and Pax Waico will not be watertight

17.30: What can South-east Asia take away from the summit?

25:30 If Democrats win midterms, will Trump be constrained?

30:10 When everyone has a view on geopolitics, does diplomacy get harder?

35:50 Are Trump and Xi explaining themselves well?

Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo 

Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]) 

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected] 

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There’s a potential Malay political realignment. Here’s what it means for regional stability and Malaysia’s governance.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia.

For our September episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Syaza Shukri, associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Highlights (click/tap above):

03:50: Najib Razak’s conditional house arrest and what it means for unity government

10:00: Impact of Najib's house arrest on Pakatan Harapan's credibility

18:20: UMNO general assembly: Zahid Hamidi dares PM Anwar to face confidence vote

22:10: PAS' posture and leadership ambitions ahead of GE16

26:40: Regional perspectives: Should neighbours worry about a PAS-influenced government?

34:40: News nugget: JPJ's 'H' series vanity licence plates hit multi-million ringgit bids

Read more:

Crowdfunding $15m fine: Najib’s party wants supporters to chip in, but trolls give 1 sen as an insult: https://str.sg/ok2tS 

Four years of uneasy alliance still cannot erase decades of UMNO’s distrust against PH allies: https://str.sg/v69u 

Bids for Malaysia’s special ‘H’ licence plate series garner record $28.6m in five days: https://str.sg/wR2sA 

“PAS’s Evolving International Engagement: From Islamism to Development Diplomacy?” by Syaza Shukri and Norshahril Saat https://str.sg/ogHNu 

Read Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr 

Read Shannon Teoh's articles: https://str.sg/wzyK 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Zurairi A.R. ([email protected])  

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

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Donald Trump need not be. BRICS is nowhere near creating an alternative to the US-led world order, says our expert.

Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points.

In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute in Washington DC.

In a conversation taking stock of the grouping’s annual meeting in New Delhi on Sept 12-13, he calls BRICS an “interesting experiment” that is worth studying. 

Like ASEAN, it operates on consensus but has no charter. BRICS has been on a membership drive and now covers nearly all the regions outside of the wealthy western world.

BRICS comprises 11 members - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. It also has 'partner countries' including the likes of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

US President Donald Trump has blasted the grouping, suspecting it of wanting to supplant the US dollar, the world’s leading currency. But de-dollarisation is not on the horizon, Shidore says.

Instead, the body is asking for “modest, not revolutionary” reforms in the world order.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:40 Why should Asean care about BRICS?

6:50 What the New Delhi summit achieved

11:50 What does Trump see in BRICS?

19:30 ‘Competition within cooperation’: The China-India dance 

27:10 US vs China: Destined to clash over AI in BRICS nations?

33:15 What are Beijing’s goals when it chairs BRICS in 2027?

37:45 Is BRICS ever going to create an alternative world order?

Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo 

Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]) 

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected] 

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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

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An unending conflict and shrinking aid leave Myanmar’s refugees and displaced in increasingly dire circumstances.

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this episode, he speaks with the British psychotherapist and aid worker Edward Blakeney on the travails of Myanmar’s 1.6 million exiles and 4 million internally displaced people.

What emerges is a story of food shortages, medical issues including mental trauma, and lack of educational opportunities among an exile diaspora that now stretches from Thailand to Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.

Highlights (click/tap above)

2:30 Brutal war and a worsening refugee situation

5:20 A 9-year-old drug addict

8:40 Wasting, malnourished children

14:10 Ukraine distraction, journalists under the gun

24:00 Has Blakeney seen a shrink himself, given what he has seen and experienced?

Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee reflects on her four-year journey in this special farewell episode.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in.

After four years of reporting from the frontlines, Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee is hanging up her media pass to embark on a new chapter.

In this special farewell episode, host Li Xueying sits down with Wai Yee for one final, reflective look back at the island she called home for the past four years.

They discuss the stark paradox of high-tech industries coexisting with deep-rooted tradition, and the everyday resilience of people living with geopolitical uncertainty.

Wai Yee shares the stories that defined her tenure in Taiwan, and what she will miss most.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:08 Why it’s time to say goodbye: Wai Yee’s next chapter

3:56 Taiwan’s high-tech prowess meets deep-rooted tradition

6:16 How locals cope with geopolitical pressure

10:50 Taiwan’s mangoes becoming hot property in Europe

16:29 Navigating cross-strait families and shifting identities

20:17 What Wai Yee will miss most about Taiwan

Read Yip Wai Yee’s articles here: https://str.sg/wFZk 

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x  

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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With DAP committed to the unity government, can Anwar Ibrahim reform his coalition before the next general election?

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus.

For our August episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Ong Kian Ming, a former deputy minister and adjunct professor at Taylor’s University. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:20 DAP members vote to stay in government: Is it the right choice?

8:40 Is the DAP grassroots divided over call to stay in government?

17:40 What is the ideal situation for DAP? Is it time to return to the opposition? 

19:50 Should Anwar Ibrahim step back to allow Pakatan Harapan to rebuild for 16th general election?

24:40 Anwar’s strategy: Tactical survival or a genuine long-term plan?

31:00 Are Anwar’s advisers listening? Here’s what we have to say to them

37:10 Side note: Formula 1 is back in Sepang, but what sporting events do we want Malaysia to host?

Read more:

Malaysia’s DAP votes to stay in government, easing pressure on PM Anwar after state polls setbacks: https://str.sg/3Tr5u

Malaysia keeps voting for change. Is Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan running out of time to deliver?: https://str.sg/mUbA

F1 race in Malaysia: Country eyes a rise in tourists, increased business for small traders: https://str.sg/xboz 

Read Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr 

Read Shannon Teoh's articles: https://str.sg/wzyK 

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Zurairi A.R. ([email protected])  

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics?

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum’s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China. 

It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.

Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world, the mainland’s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China’s next growth phase.

Highlights (click/tap above)

4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy

9:00 China’s property market prospects

11:10 ‘Ageing concubine’ Europe ‘cooking up’ negativity

15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea

19:40 You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream

23:10 ‘Involution’ and its imperatives

25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz

27:00 China’s watching US destroy itself

33:00 Female power in China

More at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26

Produced and edited by Radio Davos:

Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll

Studio production: Gareth Nolan

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Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Ravi Velloor ([email protected])

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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Discover more Radio Davos podcasts:

From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/

The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/

AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/

All podcasts: wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues: https://pod.link/1574956552

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Japan's ageing crisis has turned prisons into an unlikely safety net for lonely seniors.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in.

Japan's prisons are increasingly housing a growing number of elderly inmates, many of whom are repeat offenders convicted of minor crimes. Why would anyone choose prison over freedom?

In this episode, host Li Xueying speaks with Japan correspondent Walter Sim as he takes the audience inside Tochigi Prison, Japan's largest women's correctional facility, where an unexpected trend is raising difficult questions about the country's rapidly ageing society.

Some elderly women are repeatedly committing minor offences, but the reasons behind their actions may not be what you expect. Their stories reveal deeper challenges facing Japan, from loneliness and shrinking family support networks to rising care costs and an ageing population.

What happens when prison becomes part of a country's social safety net?

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:42 Japan's demographic challenges and prison population trends

2:23 Social dynamics within Tochigi’s prison

4:18 The paradox of prisons feeling like nursing homes

8:12 Broken social safety nets and the rise of "kodokushi"

10:31 The structural gaps in healthcare and caregivers

12:43 Japan's policy reforms towards rehabilitation

15:10 Implications of declining crime rates and prison closures

Read Walter Sim’s article here:https://str.sg/kfTG 

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR 

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x  

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz 

Host: Li Xueying ([email protected])

Edited by: Natasha Liew

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 

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR 

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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From running marathons to being personalised chefs, robots are redefining life in the future.

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus.

For July, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up with ST’s senior China correspondents Yew Lun Tian and Daryl Loo. Their focus is on China’s AI and robots and what they mean for jobs, IPOs and the US-China rivalry. 

On the ground, Lun Tian notes that AI has become “everything, everywhere, all at once.” Everyday innovations now range from driverless robotaxis and near-unmanned factories to AI-generated microdramas.

Such tech advancements have translated into a can-do spirit for China. 

The government has framed China’s open-source AI models as a driver of equitable global development—offering Beijing a chance to demonstrate leadership and responsible AI governance. However, skeptics argue against expanding China’s influence in setting global standards.

Domestically, it has also sparked a massive capital surge in the form of IPOs. And talent is in such short supply that Chinese companies now have to look overseas.  

While the overall picture is a positive one, there is an underbelly in the form of social inequalities, need for regulation as well as ethical issues.

There are also implications for US-China ties. AI has become yet another topic that shows how difficult it is for both sides to come together. Yet, dialogue is urgently needed for both Beijing and Washington to identify low-hanging fruits and establish basic guardrails.

What do the podcasters hope to see in future? Albert and Daryl wish for a robot that can analyse, wash and fold their laundry, while Lun Tian would like a “master shifu” to answer her burning questions. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:43 AI is “everything, everywhere all at once”

10:13 President Xi lays out China’s vision

13:48 Scramble for public listings

17:25 Preparing students to thrive

22:36 Is AI missing out on women’s talent?

24:54 AI competition could be the new nuclear arms race

31:36 More harm than good?

Read more: https://str.sg/4pqfj

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters 

Host: Albert Wai ([email protected]) 

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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