Asia in Focus

Looking ahead in the Philippines

Long referred to as the "Sick Man of Asia" for its less than impressive economic performance and often volatile politics, the Philippines has shown record GDP growth in excess of 6% over the last 6-8 years. Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the country has launched an ambitious "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program and a strategic pivot to China. But how much has really changed? Unlike many of its neighbours, the Philippines economy is still dominated by consumption and services and remains controlled by a handful of big family enterprises. The sudden lockdown of metro Manila and southern Luzon during the COVID-19 crisis will no doubt send the economy into strongly negative territory. Dane Chamorro is joined by Dereck Aw, Control Risks Senior Analyst for the Philippines, to discuss the outlook for the country in the months and years ahead.

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2020 Risk Map Update Asia Pacific

Join Charles Hecker as he chats with a panel of our experts -- Andrew Gilholm, Reema Bhattacharya and Harrison Cheng -- about how our Top 5 Risks for 2020 have evolved, and might continue to evolve, in Asia Pacific over the course of this unprecedented year.

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When emerging markets stop growing: Bangladesh and COVID-19

Bangladesh has come a long way in the past decade, achieving record growth that has averaged between 6-8% in the past five years. This has made Bangladesh something of a darling amongst foreign investors comfortable with frontier markets. However, the competence of its unique government, which is effectively styled after one sole leader – Sheikh Hasina (who will turn 73 this year) – is being tested by the COVID-19 crisis. Like many emerging economies in Asia, the country is reliant on just a few sectors, which has left it particularly vulnerable to COVID-19-related economic shocks, and this is beginning to result in some signs of social unrest due to mass layoffs of workers. Dane Chamorro is joined by Reema Bhattacharya, Control Risks Analyst for South Asia, to discuss the outlook for Bangladesh in the months and years ahead.

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Beyond the great firewall – the evolution of cyber risk in Asia

Though China’s cyber laws may be the most well-known, governments across the Asia Pacific – such as those in India, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – are implementing new and evolving legislation and requirements on cyber security. The trend is so significant that we’ve seen demand for guidance on cyber issues expand exponentially in recent years. Requirements can vary hugely from one jurisdiction to the next, presenting unique challenges for multinationals. Dane Chamorro chats to Jim Fitzsimmons, a Director in our Cyber Security practice based in Singapore, about how businesses can best avoid the regulatory and reputational damage that can stem from poor cyber governance.

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Economic trends across Asia

Asia was the first region to experience the Covid-19 virus, but the economic effects have varied widely across the region. Northeast Asia, Korea and Taiwan have emerged stronger than others, while structurally open economies like Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand are facing historic downturns. Some sectors, like online commerce and tech, have sailed through, while others, like tourism, have taken a hit. Dane Chamorro is joined by Priyanka Kishore, Global Macro Services Lead at Oxford Economics, to discuss current economic trends across the Asia Pacific region.

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