The Business Times

Chris Humphrey

THE WRITER IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EU-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL

emailbtnews@sph.com.sg
The majority of business sentiment survey respondents view Asean as the region with the best economic opportunities, far outpacing India and China. Its attraction is not hard to understand. 

How Asean can rewrite the global supply chain map

Get the integration piece right, and the bloc can cement itself as the resilient, diversified alternative to China-centric supply chains

A hospital ward in Manila. Despite ongoing reforms, public healthcare spending across Asean averages just under 4% of gross domestic product, far below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of over 9%.

Stopgap or strategy? The real cost of underfunding healthcare in Asean

QUALITY healthcare is a fundamental right and a smart economic strategy. Yet across South-east Asia, access remains uneven and national systems are under-resourced, just as demand is rapidly rising.

As the first country in Asean to forge a trade deal with the European Union and, more notably, the first to be negotiating a digital trade agreement with the bloc, Singapore shines as a beacon of success in EU-Asean relations.

Strengthening interaction: Singapore’s role in EU-Asean ties

SINGAPORE is Europe’s gateway to South-east Asia, not merely by geographical location but through deliberate, visionary strategies that position the city-state as a critical hub for international trad...

Counterfeit watches being prepared to be destroyed in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug 31, 2023. Buyers need to understand the implications of these fake goods – such as the use of toxic ingredients or child labour, for example.

Lost revenues, organised crime and health risks

Why illicit trade is one of Asean’s biggest threats

Despite the elevation to a “strategic partnership”, the relationship between Asean and the EU is often rocky with several irritants at play.

EU-Asean trade relations – where next?

ASEAN is decidedly back on the map for the EU, and it should be. Not only is it a high-growth, dynamic region, but Asean is also a natural bedfellow of the EU when it comes to upholding a rules-based ...

People walk in front of the Sokha hotel during the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cambodia in August. As a whole, Asean has remained an attractive investment destination despite the decline in foreign direct investment during the pandemic.

With Asean on the rise, European businesses cannot risk playing catch-up

MORE than any other country or region in the world – think China, India, and Europe – European business leaders continue to regard South-east Asia as a market that has become indispensable in terms of...

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