Nikkei's annual Future of Asia conference, held in Tokyo last week, brought together insights on various issues facing the region.
The results of the 2024 State of Southeast Asia Survey, conducted by the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, have caused quite a stir. When asked which of the two powers they would choose to side with if they had to, 50.5 per cent of ASEAN’s policy elite favoured China while 49.5 per cent favoured the United States. But the survey results also showed that only 24.8 per cent trusted China, compared to 42.4 per cent trusting the United States.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin addressed Nikkei’s Future of Asia Forum in Tokyo on May 24, describing free trade as vital to boosting investment in Asia.
Cambodia and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to bolster cooperation in trade and investment.
The government says Indonesia may benefit from Washington’s newly introduced tariffs on Chinese goods, but businesses beg to differ, warning that Indonesian export goods were not ready to meet US demand.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said here that his country will continue cooperation with China and the United States (US), urging Washington to abandon protectionism and respect competitiveness.
Malaysia, which is set to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, will leverage on the multilateral platform to tackle regional issues, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
The United Kingdom and Việt Nam have established a mutually beneficial and robust trade relationship with trade doubling within 10 years. The UK has remained one of the key markets for Việt Nam. Britain’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, Martin Kent, while on a trip to Việt Nam, spoke with Việt Nam News about bilateral ties at a time when the his country is becoming a member of The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
