Economy & Markets
Asian central banks, currencies, trade flows, commodities and the supply chains wiring the Indo-Pacific.
US-China AI Race: Frontier vs. Deployment Defines the Next Phase
The US leads in frontier AI models and capital spending, but China excels in deployment and diffusion. This distinction between invention an
Australia Balances US Alliance and China Ties in Rare Earths Push
Australia ordered six Chinese-linked investors to sell their stake in Northern Minerals. The government also committed to buying rare earths
AI Boom, Not Oil Shock, Is Driving Real Yields Structurally Higher
Ten-year US Treasury yields near 4.5% despite subdued inflation expectations. AI-driven capital expenditure by tech giants like Microsoft, A
Asia's Wealthy Families Rewrite Regional Funding as Leaders Meet in Beijing
The US-China summit in Beijing drew global attention, but the real story is the quiet shift in regional capital flows. Asia's wealthy famili
The Three-Body Problem of the Yen: How China's Deflation Is Reshaping Currency Markets
The yen's recent weakness defies interest-rate logic because it is caught in a three-body currency problem with the dollar and the yuan. Chi
Bond Market Shift Threatens Asia's AI-Driven Rally as Yields Surge
Global bond yields are climbing sharply, with Japan's 30-year yield hitting a record 4.2%. This shift threatens the AI-driven equity rally a
Trump's Tariff Strategy: Section 301 as a Legal End-Run After Court Defeats
President Trump suffered two court defeats on his emergency tariffs in 2026 but is now using Section 301 of the US Trade Act to pursue new l
Soybeans on the Table in Beijing, but US Farmers Should Curb Hopes
President Trump and President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, with soybean purchases a key topic. However, the trade tru
Trump's Tariffs and Export Controls Are Reshaping US-China Economic Ties
US imports from China have dropped sharply under Trump's tariffs. Manufacturing is moving to Vietnam, Mexico, and other Asian nations. Inves
Asian Firms Are Quietly Buying Up America: A Capital Flow Reversal
In 2025-2026, Asian firms have reversed decades of one-way capital flow, acquiring American assets at record levels. Sun Pharma's $11.75 bil
Gwadar Port Surge Signals Strategic Shift for Pakistan's Balochistan
Gwadar Port handled 11,000 containers in April 2026, exceeding its entire 2025 volume. The surge, driven by Strait of Hormuz disruptions, hi
AI's Language of Bias: How Winners Dismiss Asian Tech as 'Picks and Shovels'
AI's Asian winners are dismissed as mere 'picks and shovels' sellers, while Western platforms are celebrated. The author warns that this pej