The Philippines has announced a new visa policy that allows Chinese nationals to enter the country without a visa for stays of up to two weeks, marking a targeted effort to revive travel flows and strengthen bilateral engagement. The measure applies to visitors
Deadly floods reveal the true cost of deforestation Severe flooding in late November in Indonesia has once again highlighted the human cost of unchecked deforestation. In Sumatra, floods and landslides killed more than 1,000 people, with powerful currents carrying massive logs downstream and
China’s artificial intelligence (AI) cloud industry is rapidly transforming into a global export engine, with exports reaching $12 billion in 2025, driven largely by demand from Southeast Asia’s emerging digital economies. Once primarily focused on domestic industrial AI services, Chinese cloud firms such
China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital yuan (e-CNY), has entered a defining phase with the launch of its first full cross-border pilot zone across Southeast Asia. The project marks a turning point in China’s financial diplomacy, positioning the digital yuan as
China’s artificial intelligence industry is entering a new phase of global expansion, with Southeast Asia emerging as its most strategic export destination. As Chinese companies like Alibaba Cloud, Tencent, Baidu, Huawei, and SenseTime scale their AI and data solutions abroad, the region’s digital
China’s digital yuan is quietly reshaping how money moves across Asia. Once a domestic experiment in digital payments, the e-CNY is now expanding into Southeast Asia through pilot programs, trade partnerships, and digital currency bridges. This shift marks a fundamental change in regional
Policy Context:China’s leading digital wallet providers, including Alipay and WeChat Pay, are preparing to expand operations into Southeast Asia. This expansion follows regulatory approvals and aligns with China’s strategy to internationalize its fintech services while ensuring compliance with both domestic and regional regulations.
How Chinese platforms expand influence in Vietnam, Indonesia, and beyond. As U.S.-China tensions reshape global markets, Southeast Asia has emerged as the next battleground for Chinese tech firms. With a young, mobile-first population and fast-growing economies, countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are
