Jackie Wang
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The World’s Factory is Producing Less, and Southeast Asia Stands to Benefit
China’s economy, after dominating global manufacturing for almost three decades, is beginning to mature away from low-cost manufacturing in favour of innovation and high-value sectors. This, combined with higher labour costs and geopolitics, has increasingly pushed mass manufacturers—foreign and Chinese—toward Southeast Asia as an industrial hub. While presenting immense benefits,…
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The Tariff War Will Cost Malaysia More Than Trade
US tariffs threaten the Malaysian economy beyond the simple reduction of trade, placing the crucial solar panel and semiconductor industries on a careful balance. Western and Chinese firms comprise a significant amount of Malaysia’s production capacity in these sectors, but the tariffs are pressuring many to leave. To maintain its…
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Reassessing Market Commitments: Foreign Firms Exit China Amid Mounting Political and Economic Uncertainty
Foreign direct investment (FDI) was a cornerstone of China’s rapid economic ascent over the past five decades, but recent years have seen a sharp decline. While sluggish post-COVID recovery is often cited as the primary cause, equally important are the Chinese government’s assertive domestic and foreign policies. Artificially subsidized local…
Sino-Southeast Initiative 