Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, he hosts Mr Drew Thompson, a former top official in the Pentagon who helped handle military to military relations with China and Taiwan. Mr Thompson, now Senior Visiting Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, discusses the state of cross-Straits relations, American posture on Taiwan and his assessment of Chinese President Xi Jinping's likely approach on Taiwan after the 20th Party Congress.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:40 Cross-Straits tensions not new, but use of force is not off the table

9:10 Why the US has not changed policy, but has changed its approach

15:18 On Nancy Pelosi's visit: 'China chose to over-react'

21:15 Why Taiwan could succeed in a conflict

28:05 Could tensions ease after Xi Jinping gets his third term?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur bureau analyses the latest issues making the headlines in Malaysia.

This ST video livestream was hosted by Cheow Sue-Ann on Oct 10.

In a statement just issued by the Palace, the King expresses his "disappointment at current political developments", leaving him with no choice but to assent to the Parliament's dissolution. This, so that the mandate can be returned to the people to "elect a stable government".

ST's Malaysia correspondent Ram Anand shares more about this development.

Read more: https://str.sg/wH2y

Produced by: ST Video

Edited by: ST Video and Eden Soh

Follow Across The Causeway Podcast regularly here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Ram Anand's articles: https://str.sg/wzyz

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur bureau analyses the latest issues making the headlines in Malaysia.

This ST video livestream was hosted by Hairianto Diman on Oct 6.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Oct 6, that he may discuss the dissolution of Parliament in his audience with Malaysia's King in the evening, but refused to be drawn into whether this would leave the scheduled presentation of next year's budget on Friday moot.

ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh shares more about this development.

Read more: https://str.sg/wHxF

Produced by: ST Video

Edited by: ST Video and Eden Soh

Follow Across The Causeway Podcast regularly here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB 

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe. They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

In this episode, she chats with ST's Japan correspondent Walter Sim. 

Ahead of, ironically, the World Horticultural Exposition in 2027, a row of 280 sakura trees in Yokohama are due to be chopped down for roads to be widened  Across Japan, trees - some of which are more than a century old - will be felled in urban areas and public parks to make way for gleaming sports complexes, glamping sites, shopping malls and office buildings - not to mention the large plots of forests that have been levelled to place solar panels.

Tree huggers nationwide claim that the authorities are paying lip service to the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:05 Growing pushback against plans across Japan to chop trees down

5:35 How Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Gaien area is in itself, a tourist attraction with its 1,000 century-old trees

7:10 How tree lovers are arguing their case

9:25 Are Japanese politicians reacting at the national level?

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

Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/wHY2

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

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Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents Asian views of the United States.

The United States' Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) has been welcomed in much of the region - though with some wariness over the geopolitical agenda given that China is by far, every South-east Asian country's largest trading partner.

In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Dr. Pavida Pananond, Professor of International Business at Thammasat Business School, Thammasat University, in Bangkok, alongside Tan Dawn Wei, The Straits Times' Beijing-based China bureau chief.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:30 South-east Asian concerns over trade and supply chain pillars; how countries view resilience 

5:54 Not all countries look at “friend shoring” the same way the US does 

6:49 China firmly entrenched in region but taking anything for granted and why it's not too concerned the US' IPEF will dislodge that 

9:42 Chinese concern about US "friend shoring", decoupling and accelerating self-sufficiency

13:47 Why South-east Asia still depends on external markets; IPEF is a late entrant in the theatre 

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]), Ernest Luis & Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Eden Soh

Follow our Asian Insider Podcast channel:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r

Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG

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

Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

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Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times examines various facets of the US-China rivalry and its implications for Asia.

Join Charissa Yong and Danson Cheong - ST’s US and China correspondents respectively based in Washington DC and Beijing. They discuss semiconductor chips and why - and how - America and China are fighting over them. What are their strategic vulnerabilities? And what is the state of play?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:01 The importance of securing chip supply chains

3:24 How the US is trying to maintain its lead and how China has adapted

7:51 Decoupling of the chip supply chain? 

9:36 The rest of the world

Produced by: Charissa Yong ([email protected]), Danson Cheong ([email protected]), Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Eden Soh

Follow our Asian Insider Podcast channel Mondays to Fridays and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Charissa Yong's stories: https://str.sg/3xRa

Read Danson Cheong's stories: https://str.sg/3xR2

Follow Danson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dansoncj

Read ST's Power Play articles: https://str.sg/3xRE

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

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Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, he hosts Prof Ashutosh Varshney, Director of the Center for Contemporary South Asia and Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences at Brown University in the US.

They talk about India’s democratic experience through 75 years of existence as an independent nation. They also discuss past, and recent challenges to democracy, and ask the question: Can India turn authoritarian, or worse?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:45 How appropriate is it to call India "the world’s biggest democracy"? 

6:53 Caste and politics, and elite circulation

13:59 A Sri Lankan path for India?

15:45 Could India lose democracy?

21:25 Indian secularism is an indigenous concept

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

Websites: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

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Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times Kuala Lumpur bureau analyses the latest issues making the headlines in Malaysia.

This ST video livestream was hosted by Lynlee Foo on Sept 1.

Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, was sentenced to 10 years' jail and fined RM970 million for corruption.

ST's Malaysia correspondent Ram Anand discusses the development of the case.

Read more: https://str.sg/wzyD

Produced by: ST Video

Edited by: ST Video and Eden Soh

Follow Across The Causeway Podcast regularly here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB 

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Ram Anand's articles: https://str.sg/wzyz

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

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Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe. They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

In this episode, she chats with ST's China correspondent Aw Cheng Wei. 

China is on a rural revitalisation drive, helping villages pull themselves out of poverty and closing the income gap with cities. Will the efforts make an impact?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:12 How important are villages to the Chinese economy?

3:20 Is President Xi Jinping especially committed to the rural economy?

4:58 An eye opening trip to Hunan; top-driven changes only? Are villagers sceptical?

9:32 From a geopolitical angle, what roles do villages play?

11:56 Is village life being romanticised?

Read Aw Cheng Wei’s article here: https://str.sg/wzcs

Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

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

Read Aw Cheng Wei's articles: https://str.sg/wzce

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

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

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

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Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents Asian views of the United States.

Newly elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will soon visit Singapore and Indonesia, and probably the United States, before the end of 2022  – providing clues as to how he will navigate the increasingly dangerous space of the US-China rivalry in which his country, as a US ally, is a potential frontline state.

The signs are a departure from the truculent style of former President Rodrigo Duterte, notorious for sniping at the US and seemingly veering closer to China. What does the Philippines expect of the United States from now on?

In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts two guest experts. One is Marites Vitug, long-time investigative journalist, editor at large of the media organization Rappler, and author of among others, the book “Rock Solid” on the case on the South China Sea, that the Philippines won against China in 2016.  

The other is Richard Heydarian, political commentator, columnist and incoming senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:15 Why President Marcos Jr wants to keep relations with all major powers on an even keel?

6:25 Can Marcos Jr walk the talk? How will he react to Chinese incursions, Chinese coast guard presence in the west Philippine sea? 

8:00 The US has a high trust rating or favourability among Filipinos, but there are surveys where American alliance reliabilities have been questioned

9:55 Why a results-oriented constructive relationship is what Marcos wants with the US

12:00 The US gave the Philippines 33 million doses of Covid vaccine, versus China's 6 million doses: A big plus for the US and allies in the region? 

13:40 A key development to watch: The Enhanced Defense Corporation Agreement, where the US is supposed to forward deployment presence in an event of contingency with Taiwan

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai 

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow our Asian Insider Podcast channel every week and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB 

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Follow Nirmal Ghosh on Twitter: https://str.sg/JD7r

Read Nirmal Ghosh's stories: https://str.sg/JbxG

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

Asian Insider videos: https://str.sg/wdcC

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#STAsianInsider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.