News & Insights

Nobel Laureate Spence: Post-Brexit U.K. Economy Isn't All Doom

Author: Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute

Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair of Asia Global Institute, discusses the outlook for the post-Brexit UK economy. He speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance."

The Next Phase of China's Reform and Opening Up

Authors: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute / Xiao Geng, President, Hong Kong Institution for International Finance

Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng and Professor Xiao Geng identify four strategic challenges threatening China's continued integration into global networks.

Hong Kong in the Balance

Author: Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute

Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair of Asia Global Institute, thinks all sides need to reaffirm the "one country, two systems" framework enshrined in Chinese law in 1997.

The future of Asia will be dominated by regionalism, growth – and climate change

Author: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute

Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng explores how the future of Asia will be dominated by regionalism.

Wedged Between Conflicting Interests: India’s Huawei Dilemma

With the arrival of 5G and the attendant security risks associated with the new technology, India faces some tough choices. Ananth Krishnan, 2019 AsiaGlobal Fellow, explores in his op-ed in Global Asia India’s Huawei dilemma and the challenges India faces.

Trump Won Trade War 1.0 – Will He Now Rush a Deal?

While the US trade deficit has increased since President Trump began his tariff war with Beijing, production has shifted out of China to neighboring countries, weakening the Chinese economy. Trump has essentially won the first phase of the war, Professor Zhiwu Chen and Professor Heribert Dieter of the Asia Global Institute argue. But as Trade War 2.0 begins with another round of negotiations in October, the US leader may rush a deal that may be light on the structural reforms and compliance monitoring measures Washington originally demanded.

Phoenix TV: Balance of Military Power in the World

Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, discusses with fellow panellists at Phoenix TV the relations among Japan, South Korea and the United States following the recent tensions between Japan and South Korea.

Condivergence: Why I don’t like ideologies

In his article in the Condivergence series, Andrew Sheng, Distinguished Fellow of Asia Global Institute, argue that ideologies are not facts but opinions. He believes that people have to be more cynical and test such ideas on an empirical basis. In other words, all ideologies and theories must be taken with a pinch of salt.

Politics, among other concerns, stands in the way of HKEX’s bid for the London Stock Exchange

Asia Global Institute’s Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng talks politics that stands in the way of HKEX’s bid for the London Stock Exchange.

RTHK: Belt and Road Initiative

Professor Zhiwu Chen, Director of Asia Global Institute, shares his views on the Belt and Road Initiative with the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). At the program, he emphasizes the strategic value of East Africa to China but believes that despite significant increase in China’s investment into Africa, it still lacks soft power in the continent.

CGTN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China

Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting China. Trade is expected to be the main topic of discussions for the German leader and her entourage of businesspeople, as the two countries seek to counteract concerns about the global economy brought particularly by Donald Trump's policies. What's others on the agenda? What obstacles need to be overcome? And what progress can be achieved for Germany, China, and the EU? Professor Heribert Dieter, Director of Policy Research of Asia Global Institute, was joined by fellow panellists at CGTN in the discussion.

CGTN: Japan-Republic of Korea tensions

Japan and South Korea have had a strained relationship that goes back for decades and beyond. And the latest flare-up in tensions between the Asian neighbors is a mix of history, economics, security, and politics. Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, was joined by fellow panellists at CGTN in the discussion.

Theorizing the US-China Trade War

Author: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute

Asia Global Institute’s Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng argues that today false certainties have evolved into false binaries. This comes from the rise of social media, when everything complex must be explained to the masses in very simple terms-- like or dislike. False binaries are pushed by Americans in the current US-China trade— China is not being fair to the US, making statements as if only one side is right and the other side is wrong. He believes that unless we rationally arrive at a common basis of understanding, false binaries will lead to an escalation of lose-lose situations.

A Conversation with Professor Ezra Vogel

An eminent scholar of both Japan and China, Professor Ezra Vogel is Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences Emeritus at Harvard University. In the recently published book, Rebalance: Japan, China and the United States in the New Era, he and co-author Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Asia Global Institute, reflect on the changing dynamics of the trilateral relations among China, Japan and the US. Included in the book is a conversation between them about the biggest challenges for US-China relations amid an escalating trade war. They also discuss what the Chinese government and companies could learn from Japan’s trade friction with the US in 1980s.

Why South Korea is no longer on Japan’s approved export list

Japan has expelled South Korea from its list of approved export destinations, the latest chapter in a long-running feud. Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, was quoted in Al Jazeera news about his insights on Japan-South Korea relations.

Hong Kong’s Real Problem Is Inequality

Authors: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute / Xiao Geng, President, Hong Kong Institution for International Finance

Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng and Professor Xiao Geng argue that Hong Kong’s real problem is inequality.

The End of Shareholder Primacy?

Author: Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute

Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair of Asia Global Institute, welcomes the Business Roundtable's decision to embrace the multi-stakeholder approach to corporate governance.

CGTN: Insights on Japan-South Korea relations

South Korea said on Monday it plans to drop Japan from its "white list" of countries with fast-track trade status in September, a tit-for-tat move that deepens a diplomatic and trade rift between the two countries in northeast Asia. What are the root causes of this trade issue? Where will this trade war take the region? Will the dispute eventually be appeased? Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, was joined by fellow panellists at CGTN in the discussion.

CGTN: INSIGHTS ON CHINA-JAPAN TIES

Chinese and Japanese diplomats have concluded a round of strategic dialogue in Tokyo over the weekend. The resumption of the talks after a seven-year suspension is the latest indication of the revived China-Japan ties. Amid geopolitical uncertainties and escalating trade wars, what can we expect from these neighboring powers with a complicated history? Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, was joined by fellow panellists at CGTN in the discussion.

Condivergence: Business as usual or complete rethink?

Author: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute

Asia Global Institute’s Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng argues that we are now in the era of cultural viral attacks. The US-China conflict is depicted in terms of a clash of civilisations to a conflict of political beliefs. What are the moral issues and who is right in this outcome? The fact that we have moved into completely uncharted waters means that there is no business as usual for individuals, communities, corporations or governments. And we need a zero-based re-think of our business models and strategic plans for the turbulent times ahead.

Donald Trump’s bravado masks unsustainable debt and a go-it-alone approach that’s doomed to fail

Author: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute

Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng says that the US is playing hardball with other economies now, but without cooperation it can’t devalue its dollar. It will need other countries’ help when the good times come to an end.

CGTN: Marriage a growing 'taboo' in East Asia

In East Asia, the decline of marriage has gradually become a new phenomenon. Compared to the elder generation, more young women prefer to stay single rather than tying the knot as a necessity. They are rejecting traditions of becoming a wife or a mother for various reasons. What's the social and economic impact? Yoshikazu Kato, Adjunct Associate Professor of Asia Global Institute, shared his view at CGTN.

Trade war demonstrates the advantages of “Two Systems” and the rise of Hong Kong’s economic value

In the interview with Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly, Professor Zhiwu Chen, director of AGI, said that when the trade war becomes an economic war, Hong Kong’s economic value to the mainland will only increase. Hong Kong’s unique position is founded on the “One Country, Two Systems”, which ensures the special role and value of Hong Kong’s capital market and its separate customs territory. This unique role has become even more prominent during the recent conflicts between China and the US.

The Inequality of Nations

Author: Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair, Asia Global Institute

Michael Spence, Advisory Board Co-Chair of Asia Global Institute, thinks the eighteenth-century British economist Adam Smith’s failure to consider the market’s distributional effects has come back to haunt us.

Self-Harm in Hong Kong

Authors: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute / Xiao Geng, President, Hong Kong Institution for International Finance

Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng and Professor Xiao Geng argue that preserving Hong Kong’s position as a stable and reliable bridge between China and the rest of the world is in everyone’s interest. The first step will be to conduct a serious discussion about how to balance the autonomy promised by “two systems” with the sovereignty guaranteed by “one country.” Hong Kong’s people must make a vital calculation. As the most international part of China, Hong Kong has a major role to play in shaping China’s ongoing global integration and encouraging openness. If it abdicates this role, China’s central government will forge ahead anyway, leaving Hong Kong behind.

Now in the grip of populist identity politics, we need more than economic solutions

According to Andrew Sheng, distinguished fellow of AGI, "From the ‘yellow vest’ protests in France to the anti-extradition demonstrations in Hong Kong, race and identity lie at the heart of the recent wave of populism. Such is the outcome when economic inequalities aren’t tackled early enough."

Bastille Day and global populist uprising

Author: Andrew Sheng, Member, Asia Global Institute

Is populism defined by economics or culture? Asia Global Institute's Distinguished Fellow Andrew Sheng argues that if it is economics alone, the right economic policies can deal with economic inequalities and regional imbalances. But if it is culture and values, then there are fewer policy options, making the structural changes much tougher to solve. In reality, even if there are good policies available to deal with inequities, the politics have become so polarized that it seems impossible to arrive at the right mix of policies. To prevent populism sliding into chaos, it will take careful diagnosis before the right way forward toward reconciliation, compromise and rebuilding of trust can occur.