Opinion

The revelation of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey is harming Saudi Arabia’s international relations, including with Muslim majority Southeast Asian countries Malaysia and Indonesia. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad closed the Saudi-backed King Salman Centre for International Peace. Malaysia is also withdrawing troops from Saudi Arabia. In Indonesia, in addition to uneasiness about Khashoggi’s fate, people are protesting against the Saudi execution of Indonesian domestic worker Tuti Tursilawati without warning Jakarta. But, despite signs of change, the influence of Saudi money and ideology may be too big to dismantle in these countries. Saudi reach Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia shares similar values and was constructed and merged with the ancient Melayu culture in 625. Initially spread through arts such as music and wayang (theatre), it emphasises not only moderation and compassion but also respect for local customs. Amid … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in Southeast Asia

But there is also hope and opportunity as evolving Asian consumer behaviour encourages the transition away from “development at any cost”. As the Milken Institute Asia Summit convened recently in Singapore, this trend was front and centre as leaders focused on how best to navigate a region in transition. Governments and businesses must recognise that there are ways to better align short-term economic interests with the longer-term goal of ending the rampant pollution across the increasingly urbanised region.  I see this in my own work with investors and start-ups, including through serving on the advisory board of Equator Pure Nature, a Thailand-based “cleantech” company that produces and sells a line of natural, environment-friendly, biodegradable household cleaning products under the brand Pipper Standard.  With growing numbers of consumers in Asia worried about the impact of polluted skies and waters on them and their children, the trend … [Read more...] about Clearing SE Asia’s skies will require changing consumer attitudes

With the election now evidently looming at last, the leader of the Future Forward Party has taken a firm stand against military intervention in politics, but what remains unclear is how he intends to deal with perceived flaws in Thailand’s wayward democracy. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s criticism of Thaksin Shinawatra in a recent interview seemed half-hearted, concluding that the self-exiled former premier may well have done wrong but he was part a democratic system too immature to cope with his way of governing. Thanathorn needs to be bolder than this if he wants to take Thailand  forward into the future. He radiates youth, which for better or worse evokes the “democracy at all costs” attitude that has had a decidedly mixed history in this country. Thanathorn’s task is to convince the electorate that the fight for genuine democracy is worthwhile. Anyone can condemn military coups for shunting aside basic freedoms. What’s far more … [Read more...] about Thanathorn, give us a clearer path forward

The nameless male AI anchor – a computer-generated image with a synthesised voice and facial expressions – was jointly developed by the state-run news agency and Sogou, a leading Chinese search engine operator.  His voice and appearance are modelled on Zhang Zhou, one of Xinhua’s anchors. The rendering is still clearly synthetic – the voice doesn’t sound natural and the body movement is a little clunky – but it is a very impressive starting point for this initiative. We can only assume that the more obviously “artificial” elements of the AI anchor will become less apparent over time as the technology improves. What makes the innovation interesting is how it continuously uses AI to learn from live broadcast news and improve its delivery. Moreover, it is able to deliver the news 24/7 through its own dedicated microsite. The AI is already active – in Chinese and English – via Xinhua’s digital channels, Internet, web … [Read more...] about Artificial news, but not fake

Indeed, with a trade war orchestrated by US President Donald Trump in full swing and China-US relations sliding towards freezing point, on the surface China’s strategic space will only shrink. So how could anyone possibly argue that the country’s strategic opportunities are still huge? Yet, a closer examination of China’s relations with its neighbours shows that Yan is not being overly optimistic. With Trump ramping up his trade war rhetoric with China in recent months, Beijing has spared no effort in extending olive branches to countries on its periphery. Compared to a year ago, the climate between China and its immediate neighbours now looks much more cordial. Within a year, Beijing not only swiftly repaired ties with Seoul, which had previously been undermined by the latter’s deployment of an advanced US missile defence system, but also dramatically elevated relations with Pyongyang. While the Western world may give Trump the most credit for breaking … [Read more...] about Amid trade war, Beijing redefines and recalibrates ties with Asia