On June 8, ASEAN and South Korea officially launched full-scale negotiations to upgrade their 20-year-old free trade agreement (FTA).
Category: Economy
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.
ASEAN Energy Security Must Be Driven by Member States’ National Self-Interest
For some time, a question has hung in the air about how ASEAN would be able to translate its political commitment into implementation. The top-down approach may never fit the “ASEAN way” of doing things. By its institutional nature, ASEAN’s energy security and speed of energy transition will largely depend on the national self-interest of its member states.
ASEAN+3 economies face rising inflation in 2026
On June 2, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) published its second quarterly report of 2026, highlighting the region’s steady growth forecast at 4% as well as revised upward inflation projection to 1.8% from 1.4% this year.
ASEAN to sign first digital economy pact in November
ASEAN is one step away from implementing its first digital economy pact, the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which is set for signing at the 49th Summit in November this year.
Brunei expands fintech sandbox eligibility in push for digital innovation
On May 21, the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) officially amended its Guidelines on FinTech Regulatory Sandbox. This instrument was intended to be “a catalyst for innovation in the financial sector”.
Timor-Leste races to build a post-oil economy before the fund runs dry
Timor-Leste has recently been on a flurry of high-level engagements.