Chinese industries to go digital or die

By:
On:
In: Asia, Business

Companies in traditional sectors should take the initiative in the coming decade to go digital under Beijing’s newly announced “Digital China” plan or they will be eliminated, according to some academics. “Digitalization is now a global trend,” Zhang Jun, dean of economics at Fudan University, told guancha.cn in an interview. “Without it, China’s service and manufacturing sectors […]Continue Reading

Georgia’s anti-Russia protests a cry to the West

By:
On:
In: Asia, World

The Georgian government has been forced to withdraw its controversial “foreign agent” law after days of mass protests against what many saw as Russian-inspired legislation which would limit press freedom, making its chances of ever joining the European Union near impossible. Over two nights this week, thousands of protesters have packed the streets of Tbilisi […]Continue Reading

Radical monks grace murderous militias in Myanmar

By:
On:
In: Asia
Buddhist ultranationalist monks from the radical Ma Ba Tha group attend a meeting to celebrate their anniversary with a nationwide conference in Yangon, Myanmar May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun - RTX37U0L

The political implications of ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks and ideologies in Myanmar received much attention in the years before the 2021 military takeover. As Myanmar has turned more violent since the coup, ultra-nationalist monks have been radicalized further. What role are these monks playing in the political landscape of Myanmar today? And what is their rationale […]Continue Reading

Xi’s next crackdown is on local government debt

By:
On:
In: Asia

As China watchers try to get their heads around the myriad policy shifts at this week’s National People’s Congress (NPC), at least one thing is clear: the bubble just burst for local governments around the nation. In the decade-plus since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, municipalities engaged in a historic borrowing binge. And in the […]Continue Reading