Today Trends

After another decade of land takings and conflicts, the National Assembly of Vietnam has passed new amendments for its Land Law. The law’s performance not only affects the regional rule of law movement but also holds real fiscal weight. Hanoi plans to invest heavily into the land-sensitive subject of its highspeed railway , metro and airport network . Experts have cast the new law as another reiteration of the ‘ status quo ’, which is the prioritisation of social stability. While correct in principle, it is crucial to understand that this ‘status quo’ — paradoxically — has not been static in application. Viewed through the lens of the country’s history, the new law is a shift in the pact between parties in the land–economy tug-of-war. Vietnam’s private property market was born in a radically different socio-political environment. As the country opened its door after the Doi Moi policy, the primary objectives of the 1987 Land Law and its 1993 updates were poverty alleviation and b

Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election does not simply signal a change in leadership. It represents a pivotal moment in the island’s assertion of its political identity and its strategic importance on the international stage. The elevation of Vice President Lai Ching-te to the presidency, in open defiance of Beijing’s stern warnings, broadcasts Taiwan’s resolve and its people’s steadfast commitment to democracy. While much analysis will inevitably concentrate on the consequences of Taiwan’s election for the delicate interplay between the United States, China and Taiwan, such discussions can overshadow the genuine aspirations of the Taiwanese people . The Western narrative — filtered through the prism of strategic interests and security concerns — often neglects the nuanced fabric of Taiwan’s society, its economic vibrancy and the robust democracy that underpins its national identity. The West’s preoccupation with military concerns and geopolitical manoeuvring risks downplaying the v

In 2023, China’s Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia were deployed to the South China Sea in greater numbers, for longer periods of time and with more aggression than ever before. The Philippines has become the main point of maritime tensions, prompting the Philippine government to step up defence cooperation with the United States and its allies. In November 2023, US Pacific Fleet Commander  Admiral Samuel Paparo  noted that Chinese officers were following orders to be more ‘aggressive’ when it came to encounters with Western militaries. In the same month, US Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense  Mara Karlin  called out ‘unprofessional and unsafe behaviour’ by the People’s Liberation Army.  A  January 2024 report  noted that in the second half of 2023, ‘physical encounters between Philippine and Chinese ships increased at an alarming rate’ during routine rotation and resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal.  During 2023, the Philippines adopted a more assertive posture in defe

Violence in Myanmar is spreading with armed ethnic groups now confronting the Tatmadaw across different regions. 2023 saw victories by the Three Brotherhood Alliance in Shan State, the Karen National Liberation Army in the northeast and the Karen National Union in the south. Recently, the Arakan Army defeated Tatmadaw forces in the west, forcing hundreds of state security forces to flee into India. The spread of anti-junta fighting and battlefield successes has spooked many in ASEAN. Concerned about spillover from the fighting in western Myanmar, India has begun reinforcing its border with Myanmar whilst  repatriating Tatmadaw soldiers  who fled into India. Of greater interest is the shift in policy in Bangkok. Under the previous government led by former prime minister and military leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thailand was a ‘rogue state’ within ASEAN. Bangkok paid lip service to ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus while  pushing fleeing civilians back  across the border,  allowing aircraft

The equitable allocation of intergovernmental transfers is a pillar of fiscal federalism and crucial in defining a country’s socioeconomic landscape. But political interests can influence these transfers, resulting in allocation biases. Indonesia, known for its high level of decentralisation , relies primarily on intergovernmental transfers as the main revenue source for subnational governments, with little change in this dependency pattern two decades after the 2001 decentralisation ‘big bang’. The General Purpose Fund ( Dana Alokasi Umum ) remains the primary funding source for most local governments, despite its share of transfers decreasing from 65 per cent in 2001 to 40 per cent in 2021. As a formula-based transfer, General Purpose Fund transfers are more immune to political intervention. On the other hand, the Special Purpose Fund ( Dana Alokasi Khusus ) seems more vulnerable to political interests. The Special Purpose Fund transitioned from a discretionary transfer in 20

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have not been this high since 2017, when then US president Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un exchanged threats of nuclear war and North Korea tested its first long-range missile capable of reaching the United States. On 16 January 2024, Kim ordered a change to the country’s constitution — a document of unclear utility in an Orwellian personality cult — so that peaceful unification of North and South Korea was stricken from official policy . Party officials must also eliminate or downsize agencies and organisations related to inter-Korean relations, pointing to long-term institutional changes to all inter-Korean issues. Kim’s explicit rejection of unification marks an important shift in how the regime talks about and publicly presents the future of the two Koreas. But in practice, North Korea’s ideas of what ‘peaceful’ unification with the South would mean lost touch with reality a long time ago. The conventional Pyongyang id

Public discontent with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is palpable over a slush fund scandal involving at least 970 million yen (US$6.5 million) in unreported income from political fundraising parties held by LDP factions. The Kishida cabinet’s approval rating was already in the so-called danger zone, below 30 per cent, and the slush fund scandal has pushed it   below 20 per cent  since the end of last year. What riles public anger about the scandal goes beyond the relatively paltry sum of money involved and encompasses the perceived entitlement of the political class amid society’s expectation that everyone should adhere to rules and laws, regardless of their status or position. While Kishida’s position is increasingly untenable, the LDP has survived worse. It has held power for nearly 70 years since its formation in 1955, with only two exceptions  — 11 months between 1993 and 1994 and just over three years between 2009 and 2012

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is in crisis over a political slush fund scandal, which erupted in December 2023. The scandal has plunged public trust in Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration and the LDP to unprecedented lows and upended the LDP’s system of political factions. Kishida looks unlikely to survive beyond the end of his term as LDP leader in September 2024. The scandal is about underreported income from political fundraising party tickets sold by LDP factions. Prosecutors estimate that at least 970 million yen (US$6.5 million) is involved over the five-year period between 2018 and 2022, mostly accrued by the former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s faction . A five-year statute of limitations means that earlier underreported income is not under investigation. LDP faction members were typically set a quota of tickets to sell for each fundraising party based on their seniority. Profits beyond the quota were then returned to the member of parliament or pu

Cambodia runs on both renewable and non-renewable energy, a mix of hydropower, solar and biomass followed by coal and fuel oil. The share of renewables is forecasted to grow in 2024 but may not keep up with demand. Nuclear power offers the potential to help the country overcome environmental regulations and climate trends, but Cambodia is still a long away from a viable nuclear energy program. In 2020, Phnom Penh enacted a 10-year moratorium on dam development along the Mekong River and pledged to stop adding coal power plants . The Power Development Plan (PDP) 2022-2040 was created to explore alternatives, primarily renewable energy development in order to enable Cambodia to transition to a cleaner energy mix while fulfilling international commitments. The PDP calls for $US655 million to develop non-mainstream Mekong hydro dams, solar PV plants, Battery Energy Storage System, biomass and natural gas from 2026. This may fundamentally restructure the national energy mix, which in

Following Taiwan’s general elections in January 2024, where the Democratic Progressive Party won a third term, South Asian countries released a range of statements supporting China’s claim that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and on upholding ‘One China’ principle. The outpour of support showcases Beijing’s use of economic and political influence in the region to control the discourse over Taiwan. A spokesperson from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the country was committed to the ‘One China’ principle and considered interference in China’s internal affairs ‘provocative and detrimental’ to regional peace and stability. The Taliban government recently exchanged envoys with China and is seeking broader recognition and investment, making these comments unsurprising. The Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its firm adherence to the ‘One China’ principle. The statement also urged the parties concerned to refrain from any ‘unwar