JAPAN: Next PM Kishida set to tweak but continue with the Abe/Suga framework
Fumio Kishida has won the LDP leadership race, leveraging Diet members’ support to edge out grassroots favorite Taro Kono in both rounds of the vote. Known as a moderate but mutable right-winger, Kishida is set to govern with a slightly’kinder’ variant of Abenomics and a c… Become a member to read the rest of […]
US/CANADA/CHINA: Meng Wanzhou release can’t undo 3 years of built-up hostility
In what amounted to a hostage swap, Canada released Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou from house arrest, and Chinese authorities deported two Canadian expatriates jailed for espionage. Despite the resolution, the net effect of the three-year ordeal has been to harden hearts and stoke … Become a member to read the rest of this article
SOUTH KOREA: Front-runners emerge in party primaries ahead of presidential race
With the presidential primary season underway, Gyeonggi province governor Lee Jae-myung leads former prime minister Lee Nak-yeon in the race to be the ruling Democratic Party (DP)’s candidate. For the opposition People Power Party (PPP), former prosecutor-general Yoon Seok… Become a member to read the rest of this article
CHINA: Evergrande fallout will test Beijing’s resolve to end property addiction
Impending debt defaults by Evergrande are not China’s “Lehman moment”; regulators have the capability to control systemic risk. The more important question is whether Evergrande’s collapse will force policymakers to reverse the tightening measures designed to break the eco… Become a member to read the rest of this article
THAILAND: Attempting a path toward tourism normalcy, but it’s complicated
Thailand will push forward with a broader reopening of its tourism sector in the fourth quarter due to the relatively positive experience in Phuket of foreigners not being a major source of transmission. The Phuket and Samui sandbox schemes may be extended to other well-kn… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
JAPAN: BOJ holds during the interregnum, details green lending facility
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) held steady on policy and interest rates and remains cautiously optimistic on growth prospects, despite growing headwinds across Asia. Governor Kuroda also gave additional details of the new Climate Response Financing Operations, underlining how Jap… Become a member to read the rest of this article
CHINA: Obstacles to CPTPP membership are not necessarily fatal
China’s application faces significant obstacles on issues including state-owned enterprises, labor rights, and data flows, but these challenges are not insurmountable. The fate of China’s bid will likely depend more on political decisions by the bloc’s existing 11 members … Become a member to read the rest of this article
JAPAN: The next prime minister’s economic policy agenda is emerging
Taro Kono continues to lead in the polls as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential race officially began on 17 September but the contest to become Japan’s next prime minister remains in flux, with factional unity breaking down and a fourth contender making a disrupti… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
PHILIPPINES: The tangled web of the Duterte drama
This week, Sara Duterte, the president’s daughter, said she would seek reelection as mayor of the southern city of Davao, in support of her earlier statement that she would avoid what had until then been a presumed presidential run. She would do this, according to her spokesperso… Become a member to read the rest […]
CHINA: Evergrande default now likely, Beijing’s focus shifts to damage control
Evergrande appears highly likely to default on US dollar bonds, contrary to our previous forecast that the company would receive a government bailout. But the government is not adopting a pure laissez-faire approach and will participate in the restructuring, which may incl… Become a member to read the rest of this article