On July 16, the Myanmar government issued an official warning prohibiting the sale, distribution and replanting of F2 hybrid cotton seeds, while simultaneously rolling out new agricultural mechanisation support for cotton farmers.
Author: Elisabeth Xaviera
Business and Economy Correspondent, SEA Daily
South China Sea Ruling Still Worth Defending, Experts Tell Jakarta Conference
July 12 of this year marks a decade of the Arbitral Award, where the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague found no legal basis for China’s nine-dash line claim, a statement it handed down under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on 2016. Beijing rejected it then and ignores it now, leaving Southeast Asia to manage a verdict that is binding in law but unbacked by any mechanism to compel compliance.
In the South China Sea, US$5.3 Trillion in Trade Rides on An Unsettled Dispute
Around 5.3 trillion US dollar in trade transits the South China Sea each year, a waterway whose legal status remains unsettled. A decade ago, precisely on July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague rejected Beijing’s claims over the sea. However, China’s refusal to recognise it leaves the rules governing one of the world’s busiest trade channels continuously contested. For the region’s economies, that ambiguity is not an abstraction but a durable risk to supply chains, energy flows and food security.
Vietnam Conglomerates to Invest US$200bn in Mega Infrastructure Projects
Six leading Vietnamese conglomerates, including Vingroup and Sun Group, reportedly plan to invest a combined 4.9 quadrillion Vietnamese dong (200 billion US dollars) in 40 mega-projects.
World Bank Forecasts Modest 3.8% Growth for Laos in 2026
On July 9, the World Bank published the June 2026 Laos Economic Monitor, revealing that the country’s economy will grow modestly at 3.8% in 2026.
Indonesia Targets 1.3 GW Data Centre Growth to Fuel AI and Tech Talent
Global tech investors are preparing a massive 20 billion US dollar investment pipeline to build 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of new data centre capacity in Indonesia.
Philippines Introduces 2026-2028 Strategic Investment Priority Plan
On July 10, the Luzon leg of the 2026-2028 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) Roadshow commenced in Makati City, the Philippines. It served as the official venue for presenting Manila’s newly revised fiscal incentives and high-value investment paths.
Indonesia to Launch First Domestically Built NEO-1 Satellite
On July 8, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the national satellite programme, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) announced that the country’s first domestically built satellite NEO-1 is set to launch in January 2027.
Thailand Slashes Oil Prices to Ease Living Cost
As of July 8, Thailand has cut oil prices, with diesel decreasing by 2.56 Thai baht (0.08 US dollar) per litre, while gasoline and gasohol dropped by 2.51 Thai baht (0.07 US dollar) per litre across all grades.
The South China Sea Arbitral Award, Ten Years On
“The Department of Foreign Affairs has already undertaken appropriate diplomatic action with the government of the People’s Republic of China in connection with the illegal presence of this floating structure,” read a statement by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on June 9, following Manila’s diplomatic lodgement against China over a floating structure discovered inside Scarborough Shoal.