Asia Specific

Australia's government is winding back tax incentives for property investors in a bid to make housing more affordable - but will it work?

From Sydney to Seoul, Bangkok to Beijing, housing affordability has become one of the biggest economic and political issues facing young people across Asia Pacific.

In many major cities, home prices have risen far faster than incomes, leaving many first-time buyers feeling locked out of the mark...

A slight uptick in South Korea’s notoriously low fertility rate in the last two years has begged the question - are government policies to encourage dating, marriage and babies working?

It’s a question governments across Asia are asking, a region where fertility rates are at very low levels, particularly in Japan, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

Governments across the region have been rolling out initiatives to encourage da...

There are more Asian teams competing in this year's FIFA World Cup than ever before, but can any of them win? With the tournament expanding to 48 teams, Asia has nine nations plus New Zealand from the Oceania confederation competing for the prize across the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Many, like Saudi Arabia and Iran are from the Middle East, but East and South East Asia will be represented by World Cup regulars Japan, South Korea a...

Having welcomed Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to Beijing, China's leader is making his first overseas trip of this year to North Korea.

It's Xi Jinping's first visit to Pyongyang in seven years, and he's visiting a nation bolstered by an increasingly close relationship with Russia, which has seen North Korean troops on the battlefield in Ukraine. Why would a leader used to welcoming foreign dignitaries make the trip to a much s...

Thailand has cut the visa-free stay time for tourists, but will it boost numbers for an industry which is a lifeblood of the economy? Tourist numbers have fallen and have never gone back to the same level as before the Covid pandemic. While the government has been trying to shore up tourist numbers, in May Thailand cut visa-free stay period for tourists from 60 to 30 days.

So what is the thinking behind the move and what other fact...

AI is fuelling the biggest stock market rally in the world. South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index has nearly doubled in value this year – a rally driven largely by semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which have benefited from soaring global demand for AI memory chips.

The surge has also attracted waves of retail investors. Advocates say the boom reflects South Korea's central role in the global AI supply chai...

Comments by a senior Indonesian official about students pursuing “irrelevant” university degrees has sparked a debate about what sort of careers will survive in a fast-changing job market. Indonesia is looking at ways to better equip universities and vocational schools for the future job market, and a relatively low level of graduates with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degrees has the govern...

Who will dominate in the race to develop and scale self-driving cars - the US or China? The two countries are far ahead in the autonomous vehicle space. While the technology has many applications, the most obvious one – and the one most talked about – is robotaxis.

As driverless cars increasingly start being rolled out in cities around the world, we unpack whether funding and user experience or scale and diverse real wo...

A recent victory by a Filipina American beauty pageant contestant has sparked a debate about what it means to truly represent the Philippines. The country has arguably the most enthusiastic beauty pageant culture in the world, with widespread fame and life-changing opportunities awaiting winners. But the winner of this year’s Miss Universe Philippines Bea Millan-Windorski has had to defend her victory after being critic...

North Korean women footballers are heading to South Korea, in a closely watched match taking place at a moment of deep tension between the two neighbours.

The two Koreas are still technically at war, and official contact between Pyongyang and Seoul has been minimal in recent years.

But sport has long played a unique role in inter-Korean relations - from unified Olympic marches to politically charged football matches played in empty ...

Bali is facing a worsening rubbish crisis, with landfill restrictions causing garbage to pile up, on an island already infamous for plastic-strewn beaches.

As the main landfill site tightens rules on organic waste, local communities are left scrambling for alternatives, and in some cases, resorting to burning rubbish.

Indonesia’s president has even weighed in, criticising the island’s cleanliness and calling for urgent a...

The relationship between the United States and China affects everything from global trade and technology to climate policy and security. But how well do the two superpowers really understand each other? Donald Trump’s visit, from 13-15 May, will be the first to China by a US president in nearly a decade.

We examine the assumptions, misconceptions and political narratives shaping one of the world’s most consequential ri...

India and China have long taken very different approaches to controlling the internet. But is that gap starting to narrow?

India’s government is proposing new rules that could bring bloggers, influencers and online creators under regulations similar to those governing traditional broadcasters.

Officials say it’s about accountability, but critics worry it could limit free expression and political speech online.

So how far ...

A $2 billion deal between Meta and rising AI company Manus was done and then suddenly, China stepped in and blocked it.

The move stunned the tech world. Manus, a fast-growing AI startup with roots in China but based in Singapore, had been gaining attention for its powerful AI agent tools.

Meta - the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp - saw it as a strategic bet in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.

But Beiji...

New Zealand has signed a major free trade deal with India, but a provision to lock in thousands of skilled migrants each year has sparked a backlash.

The agreement promises economic benefits for both countries, including expanded trade and easier movement for Indian skilled workers. But a comment by a senior minister in the governing coalition describing the migration agreements as a “butter chicken tsunami” has ignited...

The country’s economy - forecast to grow at the fastest pace in South East Asia this year - is under pressure, with manufacturers hit by oil price hikes from the conflict in the Middle East. Vietnam’s manufacturing sector is one of the country’s main engines of growth.The government has set its economic growth target at 10% over the next five years, and the country has been outpacing its regional peers.

Asia Specif...

How prepared is Japan for a major earthquake? The country has been on high alert for aftershocks since this week’s magnitude 7.7 quake, with thousands of people urged to seek higher ground.

Scientists have warned for decades that a powerful quake along the Nankai Trough could strike, triggering potentially devastating tsunamis and widespread destruction.

In this episode of Asia Specific, we explore the history of major earthqua...

What would a deal with the US military mean for Indonesia’s ties to China?

The proposal being considered by Indonesia would allow US military aircraft easier access to its airspace. But it has ignited debate in a country that’s long had a non-aligned foreign policy stance.

We discuss this possible shift in strategy, the US military presence in the region and how a potential deal is being viewed by China. What do Indones...

Are high energy prices prompting a shift to electric vehicles in Asia?

In China, more than half of all new cars sold are now electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. But across the rest of Asia, the shift is much slower, in part due to a lack of charging infrastructure. Will high oil prices due to the Iran conflict be the catalyst to change that?

Chinese carmakers are rapidly expanding into Southeast Asia, setting up factories, and cha...