Trade

Evidence has emerged of China interfering in the foreign policy of Australia's government.

AmCham members positive over future but urge more action on labor flexibility and policy coordination.

The remaining 11 members of the Trans Pacific Partnership are renegotiating a deal that leaves the US out in the cold.

'As the Chinese state extends its reach beyond its traditional power bases in the Sino-Myanmar hills and lowland urban centers to developing a major port off the Rakhine coast, it pays to be aware of the longstanding motif of strategic Chinese infiltration,' Dawkins writes.

'Even career government officials who had served in previous administrations adopted a tougher tone this year, asserting that little progress could be expected in expanding bilateral economic ties unless Taiwan acts decisively to shave its trade deficit with the United States and tackle major outstanding trade issues.'

A quick roundup of the most important news from around the region.

Secretary of State Tillerson has already indicated that the State Department is considering dropping 'democracy' from its global mission. On Tuesday, he kept his word.

It is still unclear whether Thailand will be able to easily re-adjust its strategic position between the two regional powers

In a post-Brexit scenario, the EU strategy of prioritizing democracy-first, rule-of-law and human rights discourses with China may not be sustainable over economic pragmatism.

China is enacting reforms to normalise the importation of goods for domestic consumption. Yet any opening of the Chinese market will be selective and will serve state industrial policy, Tristan Kenderdine writes

Than Tun and Trevor Wilson dive into the challenges and opportunities SEZ's have for Myanmar.

Trump’s visit to Vietnam is an auspicious opportunity for him to reiterate the message the United States is not pivoting away from Asia.

Vietnam has seen almost 40,000 new startups with a total registered investment of US$17 billion in the first four months of 2017 alone.

When analyzing future Chinese investment, we need to recognize these inter-dependencies and the possible synergies and conflicts between them.

'Beijing has already burnt itself in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, where the public is becoming hostile to Chinese projects. Like a chain, the Belt and Road is as strong as its weakest link and public perceptions toward China can become an existential issue for Beijing’s ambitious initiative.'

Rather than a regional trade agreement, China’s Belt and Road strategy is an extension of Beijing’s economic policy in foreign lands, Tristan Kenderdine writes.

Beijing did not invite Singapore's Prime Minister to attend the Belt and Road event in Beijing this week, signifying strain in sino-Singapore relations.

In 'Breaking the WTO: How Emerging Powers Disrupted the Neoliberal Project,' Kristen Hopewell argues that the active pursuit of their own interests by emerging powers leads neo-liberalism into stalemate. Using the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as an example, the book not only illustrates a power shift, but also that the demands of emerging powers embracing the existing rules make consensus harder to reach. Yao Han appreciates the bold and innovative interpretations of the power interactions behind the WTO offered by this work.