The 2026 Germany-Vietnam Business Forum commenced on June 11 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Co-organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) and the German Business Association (GBA), the bilateral meeting focused extensively on the theme “Circular Economy in Manufacturing”.
Author: Elisabeth Xaviera
Business and Economy Correspondent
Indonesia expands barter trade to curb US dollar reliance
Speaking on June 9 after an exclusive coordination meeting on food commodity price developments, Trade Minister Budi Santoso informed reporters that the government is preparing a new barter mechanism that is expected to help ease the demand for greenbacks and preserve foreign exchange reserves, as trade will not be conducted using American currency.
Vietnam calls for a harmonised fintech ecosystem during 2026 ASEAN Future Forum
Hanoi is currently hosting the 2026 ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) until June 10, gathering government leaders, business delegates as well as, for the first time, political parties and local authorities from across the Southeast Asia region to discuss actionable recommendations for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
ASEAN-South Korea to upgrade FTA with focus on digital trade and critical minerals
On June 8, ASEAN and South Korea officially launched full-scale negotiations to upgrade their 20-year-old free trade agreement (FTA).
Luzon Economic Corridor tops Philippine-US bilateral talks
On June 5, the Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington D.C. on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 80th year of Philippine-US diplomatic relations.
Malaysia debuts TVET 2.0 and new talent placement platform, targeting 100,000 jobs by 2027
On June 6, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivered a keynote speech to officiate the National TVET Day as he debuted the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) 2.0 initiative with a pledge of 50 million Malaysian ringgit (12.4 million US dollar) in funding.
IAI kicks off Work Plan V with fresh focus on Timor-Leste
On June 5, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force convened its 79th meeting at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta. IAI Task Force 2026 Chairperson and Permanent Representative of Cambodia to ASEAN, Noy Choumneanh chaired the gathering.
Malaysia builds a chip industry but may lack the workers to run it
Malaysia is trying to climb the semiconductor value chain to become a highly lucrative Integrated Circuit (IC) design and wafer fabrication hub, leaving behind its conventional Assembly, Testing and Packaging (ATP) branding.
PLX Asia launched as first integrated business hub in Southeast Asia
On May 29, PLX Asia was established as Southeast Asia’s first integrated business-to-business (B2B) platform. This centralised hub is tailored specifically for private label and contract manufacturing at a time when the region is experiencing a massive yet fragmented boom across the food and beverage (F&B), health and beauty as well as household care sectors.
Malaysia gears up for TVET Day exhibition, targeting 200,000 attendees
Malaysia is set to host a three-day event celebrating its national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Day from June 5 to 7 at Putrajaya Square, Kuala Lumpur. This exhibition is designed as a platform to strengthen the country’s fast-growing TVET ecosystem—an educational system providing industry-focused skills training through schools, colleges and training institutes to prepare learners for employment in technical, skilled and professional trades—with the aim of driving substantial human capital development.