Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung announced that ASEAN countries and China will resume negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which have been slowing down due to the spread of the coronavirus. The meeting will take place on July 1 and will be an opportunity to discuss the next steps in the Code negotiations.

Automakers operating in Southeast Asia are moving in low gear as they bring plants back online after weeks of suspended production due to the coronavirus pandemic. Safety protocols and weak sales force them to proceed slowly in restarting operations.

The pandemic has affected ASEAN countries differently. An interesting in-depth study of the European Parliament's research service analyses the health, economic and political impact of Covid-19 in ASEAN countries.

Sri Trang Gloves, Thailand's largest manufacturer of medical gloves, is raising funds to increase production capacity and meet the substantial increase in demand for its products due to the pandemic.

Indonesia's state-owned mining holding company will acquire a 20% stake in the local subsidiary of Brazilian mining giant Vale, operator of the world's largest nickel mine on the island of Sulawesi.

The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) and The Asia Foundation have come together, to launch the Go Digital ASEAN initiative. Supported by a USD3.3 million grant from Google.org, the initiative is designed to equip micro and small enterprises as well as underemployed youth, particularly those in rural and isolated areas, with crucial digital skills and tools; expand economic opportunity across ASEAN Member States (AMS); and minimize the negative impact from the COVID-19 crisis.

Le difficoltà della Malesia. Il crollo dei prezzi di petrolio e gas causati dalla pandemia rappresentano un duro colpo per l'economia malese. Il governo di Muhyiddin Yassin si trova di fronte ad una sfida complessa, rilanciare l’economia in un contesto globale di incertezza e volatilità, che indebolisce settori chiave dell'economia del Paese

Bangkok-based fintech startup Synqa Holdings is looking to capture a slice of growing demand for cashless transactions in Asia by taking advantage of $80 million it recently raised. Synqa, formerly known as Omise Holdings, completed its Series C funding led by Siam Commercial Bank's venture capital subsidiary SCB 10X and Tokyo-listed asset manager Sparx Group, Nikkei reported.

Geopolitical balances in the Asia-Pacific region have evolved very rapidly in recent years, with China's growth and the first tensions with the United States. An interesting article by Global Times analyses the role of ASEAN countries in the match between Washington and Beijing, highlighting the need for a balanced and diplomatic approach.

According to the International Labour Organization, the annual automotive turnover is equivalent to the sixth largest economy in the world. In Southeast Asia, the sector is crucial for countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. The ASEAN Post looks at the crisis of the sector with an eye to the near future.

Thailand's exports of farm products to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries in the first quarter jumped 5.1 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on Wednesday.

The Bank of Indonesia has announced a 25 basis point reduction in its main rate to 4.25%. It also revised down its gross domestic product growth forecasts from 2.3% prior to a range from 0.9% to 1.9% for this year. Indonesia therefore intensifies its efforts to support the economy and face the crisis.

Ultimi sviluppi politici in Malesia. Il Primo Ministro malese Muhyiddin Yassin starebbe pensando di andare ad elezioni anticipate con l'obiettivo di rafforzare la sua posizione e indebolire quella dell’ex premier Mahathir Mohamad. Fonti governative hanno dichiarato a Nikkei Asian Review che il Primo Ministro sta considerando di andare alle elezioni entro marzo 2021.

Singapore mantiene il primato di economia più competitiva al mondo. Per il secondo anno consecutivo, Singapore guida l’IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, che classifica le economie globali in base alla loro capacità di generare valore. Dopo Singapore, in ordine, Danimarca, Svizzera Paesi Bassi e Hong Kong. Da segnalare dunque la solidità di molte piccole economie che si dimostrano forti di fronte alle incertezze causate dalla pandemia

Ripartono le attività a Singapore. Questa settimana Singapore allenterà ulteriormente le misure restrittive per contenere la diffusione del coronavirus, con l'obiettivo di riaprire presto tutte le attività economiche. Dopo una terza ondata di contagi a fine aprile, la città-Stato si appresta dunque ad entrare in una nuova fase, che sarà interessante seguire per capire come evolverà la situazione del virus nella regione

Myanmar’s Ministry of Construction has unveiled four projects to be implemented under China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including expressways, a bridge and a tunnel, which will form crucial links in trade routes with China.

The foreign ministers of ASEAN and Russia will hold a special meeting on COVID-19 via video conference on Wednesday, said a Cambodian foreign ministry's statement on Monday. During the meeting, the ASEAN-Russia foreign ministers will exchange views on best practices and lessons learnt in countering the pandemic, discuss ways to enhance cooperation in all areas of mutual interests and strengthen the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership, particularly on public health

THE Covid-19 pandemic has hit ASEAN hard. For a region that depends heavily on international trade and tourism, the pandemic has tested the resolve of ASEAN as a community.