• Persian Gulf’s AI-ization: Playing Both Sides in a Bipolar Tech World

    Persian Gulf’s AI-ization: Playing Both Sides in a Bipolar Tech World

    Guest Article by Mostafa Bushehri Caught between Silicon Valley and Shenzhen, the Gulf is betting its oil fortune on becoming the world’s next AI super-node. “We are in the age of a huge industrial revolution that will change the rules of politics, economics, and societies,” declared Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad…

  • The Tariff War Will Cost Malaysia More Than Trade

    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…

  • New Kid on the Bloc: Timor-Leste and the Future of ASEAN

    New Kid on the Bloc: Timor-Leste and the Future of ASEAN

    ASEAN is at a pivotal geopolitical crossroads – global powers such as the US and China jostle for influence in Southeast Asia, with the organization often finding itself on the short end of the stick. Timor-Leste stands at the heart of it all, where the nation is on the brink…

  • Singapore’s Crypto Clampdown: Can Regulation Build the Next Fintech Hub?

    Singapore’s Crypto Clampdown: Can Regulation Build the Next Fintech Hub?

    As global regulators scramble to restore trust in digital finance, Singapore is charting a path that few others dare to follow. While much of the crypto world eyes a rebound driven by new capital, token launches, and looser rules, Singapore is moving in the opposite direction—tightening consumer protections, raising compliance…

  • The First 15 Years of China’s Reform and Opening-Up: A Critical Restructuring of Incentives

    The First 15 Years of China’s Reform and Opening-Up: A Critical Restructuring of Incentives

    Out of three decades of political and economic volatility came a shift in Chinese economic policy in 1978, bringing about a transition into the market economy China is today. The first 15 years of China’s 1978 reforms is a unique story, achieving fundamental economic changes unseen in its authoritarian hierarchical…