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Regional Outlook

Eliminate Scam Centers: The Key to Cambodia's Investment Confidence in the Eyes of Trump's Ambassador Nominee

Christopher Anderson, the candidate for U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia nominated by Trump, pointed out that eliminating scam centers is key to restoring investor confidence. This article analyzes the far-reaching impact of the scam industry on Cambodia's investment environment, regional image, and capital flows from an ASEAN regional perspective.

Somsak Phumin3 min read
ASEAN Briefing

Cambodia Skills Cooperation: A New Paradigm for ASEAN Human Capital Upgrading amid Manufacturing Relocation

SCAN Industrial Services and the Ministry of Labor of Cambodia have launched an industry-led skills training partnership that directly aligns with the employment needs of the manufacturing sector. This article analyzes, from the perspective of the ASEAN region, how this cooperation can enhance the quality of Cambodia's human capital, support the relocation of manufacturing and supply chain upgrading, and strengthen the competitiveness of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Nguyen Van Duc4 min read
ASEAN Briefing

Cambodia explores new path for manufacturing upgrade: how industry-led skills training cooperation reshapes ASEAN human capital landscape

SCAN Industrial Services and Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor have launched an industry-led skills training cooperation, directly linking vocational training with manufacturing employment. This initiative not only concerns Cambodia’s own industrial upgrading but also reflects the human capital competition in the ASEAN region against the backdrop of manufacturing relocation.

Sarah Lim4 min read
Digital ASEAN

Content Discovery Fragmentation: How ASEAN Digital Leaders Are Reshaping Strategy

ASEAN consumers are shifting from search engines to AI assistants and super apps for discovering information, leading to a decline in traditional website traffic. This article analyzes three major content strategy transformations that regional digital leaders must undertake: from keywords to conversations, from quantity to authority, and from owned channels to a seamless omnichannel experience.

Sarah Lim6 min read
Cross-Border Trade

From trader to value chain integrator: Xiamen International Trade's ASEAN supply chain upgrade path

At the third Global Expansion Summit, Xiamen ITG proposed a transformation path from global trader to value chain integrator. Its practices in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore demonstrate how Chinese supply chain enterprises deeply embed themselves into the ASEAN industrial ecosystem, driving the restructuring and upgrading of regional supply chains.

Carlos Mendoza4 min read
Regional Outlook

Cambodia's economic slowdown: How government stimulus and tourism recovery determine short-term prospects and regional role

According to an MSC report, Cambodia's 2026 GDP growth forecast has been downgraded to 2.5%, with government stimulus and tourism recovery becoming key to avoiding the slowest growth in nearly two decades. This article analyzes the roots of Cambodia's economic slowdown, the impact of tourism on regional connectivity, and the potential long-term industrial transformation driven by policy stimulus from the ASEAN regional perspective.

Budi Santoso4 min read
Regional Outlook

ASEAN Energy Security: Building Regional Resilience in Turbulent Times

This article analyzes the energy security challenges faced by ASEAN, including the vulnerability of the Malacca Strait, dependence on fossil fuels, renewable energy potential, supply chain risks, and great power competition, and proposes a regional cooperation framework to enhance economic resilience.

Sarah Lim4 min read
Manufacturing Hub

Vietnam's economic rise: ASEAN supply chain restructuring and the challenge of the middle-income trap

Vietnam's economy is leading ASEAN with an 8% growth rate, but to leap from a manufacturing and assembly base to a middle-income country, it still needs to address structural issues such as investment efficiency, human capital, and deepening the local value chain. This article analyzes Vietnam's transformation path from the ASEAN regional perspective and its impact on the division of regional industrial chains.

Budi Santoso5 min read
ASEAN Briefing

From "Manufacturing Workshop" to "Value Capture": Malaysia's Transformation Sets a Benchmark for ASEAN Industrial Upgrading

The Chief Investment Officer of Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional pointed out that Malaysia must move beyond traditional manufacturing and break away from the "hotel economy" model. This transformation is not only crucial to the nation's destiny but also provides ASEAN economies with a roadmap for leaping from assembly bases to innovation hubs.

Carlos Mendoza4 min read
Infrastructure Watch

Northern Vietnam's industrial belt welcomes carbon management platform: an ASEAN model for green supply chain transformation

Korean carbon management company Glassdome has partnered with Vietnam's KBC and HOUSELINK to provide a carbon management platform for industrial parks in northern Vietnam, helping companies address global carbon regulations such as CBAM. This collaboration highlights the critical role of ASEAN manufacturing in the green transformation of supply chains, as well as the trend toward standardization of regional carbon management.

Sarah Lim4 min read
Digital ASEAN

Metfone Express enters the Cambodian logistics track: behind intensifying competition, what is the regional supply chain re-evaluating?

The launch of Metfone Express is not merely the addition of a new player to Cambodia’s logistics industry; it also reflects the accelerating restructuring of local delivery, cross-border transport, and digital logistics services. For ASEAN, such changes mean that smaller and medium-sized economies are reasserting their place in regional supply chains through logistics infrastructure and service capabilities.

Sarah Lim6 min read