Other Briefings
ASEAN Economic Ministers Meet in Brunei
Aug. 22 – The 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers Meeting (AEMM) was held in Brunei this past Monday. Upon arrival the ASEAN ministers held a joint press conference at which they expressed their happiness about the strong economic performance and resilience of ASEAN in 2012. Specifically, the ministers noted that all […]
ASEAN Automobile Market to See Continued Growth
Aug. 16 – A recent report released by market research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan notes that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to become the fifth largest buyer of cars by 2019. Fueled by rising incomes and a prime-age demographic, ASEAN’s automobile market has been forecasted to grow at a compound […]
Myanmar Approves Plans for New International Airport
Aug. 14 – This week Myanmar approved the Incheon International Airport Corporation’s bid for the construction of a US$1.1 billion airfield to be located within the country’s commercial center of Yangon. The airport, to be called the Hanthawaddy International Airport, will begin construction next year under the management of Incheon, a Korean company with experience […]
Singapore Increases GDP Forecast
Aug. 9 – The outlook for Singapore’s GDP was revised upwards this past week following greater than expected growth over the first two quarters of this year. The announcement came from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his televised National Day address to the country. Economic growth was previously projected at a GDP growth […]
Singapore’s RMB Business Up 80% in Three Months
Singaporean banks, arguably the financial apex of ASEAN, have reported an 80 percent increase in the number of local companies using China’s national currency, the renminbi (RMB), to settle transactions.
Singapore Urges Deeper ASEAN-India Relations
Aug. 2 – Earlier this week, at the inaugural lecture of the ASEAN-India Centre in New Delhi, Singapore’s Foreign Minister K Shanmugam pushed for a deeper relationship between ASEAN and India so as to further expand tourism and business opportunities between the two regions. Specifically, in addition to the services and investment free trade agreement […]
August 2013 ASEAN Regional Meetings
There are a number of important meetings being held in August, including a series of meetings for ASEAN Economic Ministers and Defense Ministers. The key meetings of note for our readers are as follows.
Philippines to Lead Economic Growth in ASEAN
Jul. 31 – ASEAN will outperform other Asia-Pacific economies next year as China’s growth slows, according to a report issued by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) this week. In their report titled “Credit Conditions: Increased China Downside Risk Dampens Asia’s Growth,” S&P lowered their forecast for year-end growth in Asia-Pacific from 5.5 percent to 5.3 percent. […]
Mauritius to Tighten India Tax Treaty Loophole, Singapore to Benefit
Jul. 26 – Mauritius, long the largest sender of foreign direct investment into India thanks to a loophole in its tax treaty which allows Mauritius-based holding companies to offset capital gains taxes (CGT), is finally looking to close this loophole following pressure from the Indian government. The Indian government has estimated that over US$74 billion […]
ASEAN Expected to Commence FTA Talks with Hong Kong
Jul. 23 – According to Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, the 10-nation ASEAN bloc and Hong Kong are expected to begin negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). This agreement would rapidly expand the volume of trade and investment between the two sides. Currently in the preparatory stage, the agreement […]
