ASEAN stands at a pivotal moment as global interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) accelerates, with most central banks worldwide now conducting experiments or pilots.

Developing Asia’s path to high-income status will hinge on sustained productivity growth and large-scale private investment, which are expected to raise domestic real interest rates and drive capital flows funded mainly by domestic savings but still dependent on global markets.

AI’s growing role in strategic foresight is reshaping how experts anticipate and prepare for multiple plausible futures, as shown by insights from 167 practitioners across 55 countries who increasingly rely on AI to accelerate trend analysis, scenario development and the identification of emerging issues.

Thailand and China are poised to open a new chapter in their long-standing friendship as King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida embark on a historic state visit to China—the first by a Thai monarch since diplomatic ties were established in 1975.

Indonesia’s move to recognise the United States as an adequate jurisdiction for personal data protection—made through a new trade deal and implemented before its own Personal Data Protection Authority and adequacy criteria are in place—raises concerns over legal legitimacy, regulatory preparedness, and data security.

Thailand’s tax-incentivized ESG Fund, introduced in late 2023, reshapes corporate bond pricing by pushing issuance and secondary markets in different directions.

Thai–U.S. relations are navigating a period of adjustment as President Trump’s more transactional “America First” approach intersects with Thailand’s hedging strategy and its recent deepening of ties with China.

ASEAN’s long-standing rotational chairmanship — recently passed from Malaysia to the Philippines — remains central to the bloc’s unity, equitable leadership, and consensus-driven “ASEAN Way.”

Indonesia’s economy is expected to maintain steady momentum through 2025–2026, supported by a stronger-than-anticipated rebound in the second quarter, firmer manufacturing activity, and resilient household spending boosted by seasonal holidays.