Vietnam’s AI scene and PhoGPT; US’ vision for Indo-Pacific

This week in Asean:

• Vietnam: AI race among big companies heats up
• Malaysia: Pawnbrokers experience fast expansion 
• Thailand: In ‘crisis’ and needs major economic stimulus
• Cambodia: Signs yuan clearing arrangement with China

Dear BT reader,

Last week, we saw the curtain drawn on the much-anticipated Apec summit in San Francisco. Although it was expected that President Biden would announce the conclusion of the US-led talks on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), achieving consensus on the trade pillar proved elusive. Reporting from California, our correspondent Sharon See delved into the potential for the US to counter China’s expanding influence in the region through its IPEF vision.