By Matt Goodman All roads may no longer lead to Rome, but someday they may lead to the FTAAP (Free Trade Area Asia Pacific). In addition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the other main route to the APEC vision of…
The Windy Road to FTAAP
The Leaderboard: Danny Russel
Who is he? Daniel R. Russel, better known as Danny, is currently serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs on the White House National Security Staff (NSS). From 2009 to 2011, he was the…
Social Unrest from India’s Demographic Dividend
By Camille Danvers In the 1960s, the baby boomer generation shook the U.S., advocating social and political changes on an unprecedented scale. Today, India is facing a similar situation as an emerging educated and young middle class expects more transparency…
The Leaderboard: Le Thi Thu Thuy
Who is she? Le Thi Thu Thuy is the CEO and vice chairwoman of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, Vietnam’s largest real estate company. She joined Vingroup in 2008 and became CEO in June 2012 at the age of 39. Previously,…
U.S. – India Cooperation on Climate Change: Upping the Ante
By Guru Amrit Khalsa As two of the top three Co2 emitters worldwide, the U.S. and India both have much to gain through further collaboration on combating climate change, while also benefiting the entire international community. Unfortunately, pressing domestic realities…
Surprise or Déjà Vu? The Vietnam Communist Party’s Seventh Plenum
By Hung Nguyen The Seventh Plenum of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) met from May 2 to May 11 to discuss, among other things, “possible ways to perfect the political system, [strengthen] party building, and [promote] the party…
The Leaderboard: Enrique K. Razon, Jr.
Who is he? Enrique “Ricky” Razon, Jr. is the third richest man in the Philippines, with a net worth of $3.6 billion according to Forbes. He is the CEO and chairman of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), a Manila-listed…
Malaysia: Asia’s Top Investor in Africa?
By Tianyi Wang & Andy Lim On March 25 the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a report, “The Rise of BRICS FDI and Africa.” Published during China’s new President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Africa and before…
Considering International Military Education and Training in Myanmar?
By Ravi Balaram Acting Assistant Secretary Joseph Yun’s Senate testimony on April 25 on security cooperation and challenges in the U.S. rebalance to Asia reflects the intersection of security and development domains. Inextricably linked, Secretary Yun said that U.S. security…
By the Numbers: Tracking Southeast Asia’s Billionaires
Southeast Asia now has more billionaires than ever, as the region continues to grow at a fast pace. Like wealthy individuals everywhere, Southeast Asian billionaires are politically connected, trying to influence their home economies, and are pushing their influence beyond…