The clock ticks for TikTok
I have to admit that I was late to the party with TikTok. It only sprung up on my radar during the Covid lockdowns when my Chinese friends told me they were passing their time at home by watching videos of people dancing, singing and clowning around. I assumed it was only for young people […]
Keeping the peace with ASEAN
A lot was written last week about the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne and there’s no doubt that the ASEAN region represents an important relationship for Australia. Foreign Minister, Penny Wong came into Government promising to improve Australia’s relationship with SE Asia and, after several announcements during the Summit (including A$2 billion to promote business […]
Hong Kong vs Singapore
Let’s be clear, Singapore is a great city. I’ve been going there myself since my late teens and have always been struck by the dynamism, ingenuity and energy of the place and, in particular, the strong and unmistakable national identity that now attaches to all “Singaporeans”. Whilst my current focus is on Hong Kong for […]
Go East!
If you’re involved in the technology business, as a founder, entrepreneur or service provider, you’ll already be aware of the rapid growth of science and technology hubs in Asia, particularly in Japan, China and Korea. In the same way that Silicon Valley has propelled the global domination of US technology over the past 30 years […]
It’s too early to write off Hong Kong!
2024 kicked off with my annual mission to the Asian Financial Forum in January and, in addition to leading a 3 day program for AFF delegates, I spent a full two weeks in Hong Kong catching up with local investors, business partners and friends who provided some unique on-the-ground perspectives. I also spent an interesting […]
Navigating China’s investment potential: Key sectors revealed
China, the global economic powerhouse, faces a complex landscape of shifting consumer behaviours, regional differences and changing global trade dynamics. The aftermath of long and unpredictable Covid lockdowns has impacted consumer confidence, boosting saving and curtailing spending – with the exception of the luxury end of the market. While there are complex economic and market […]
Asian Diversity
It’s good to hear SMEs talking about their “Asian Strategy” again, but the use of these words alone suggest that they have a lot of detailed, analytical and strategic work to do before they will be anywhere near ready to launch their business into this fast growing and highly diverse region, representing more than half […]
People First
It is often forgotten that relationships between different countries exist on at least 3 levels: Level 1 – Government to GovernmentThis usually receives the most attention, at least from the media, but it should be remembered that Governments and leaders come and go, and attitudes, policies and personalities change faster than it might appear from […]
Fragile Democracy
The defining moment for the birth of democracy in Asia was the end of World War II, a victory for democracy amongst the colonial powers of Western Europe. In the carve up of the world that followed, many restless colonies were granted independence as a reward for their support for the embattled colonial powers during […]
No Surprises
China is a ‘planned economy’. I think we all know this. Having established a viable economic base under Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai in the late 40s, China published their first Five Year Plan in 1953, adopting the Soviet model of State ownership and centralised economic planning which set the agenda for the […]