Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
Opinions
Promoting Innovation
04 April 2016
By Yasushi Ueki Fostering self-motivated people is fundamental in promoting innovation. Recently ASEAN member states (AMS) put more emphasis on engineering and science to promote …
Building the Infrastructure Industry in East Asia Emerging Economies
02 May 2016
By Fauziah Zen The short supply of infrastructure in majority of emerging economies wasan alarming issue recently due to its impeding effect on economic growthand …
Globalisation and Wage Inequality
04 July 2016
By Dionisius Narjoko Two important economic trends have emerged during the past few decades: rapid globalisation and increasing wage inequality. Developing countries, in particular, have …
Reducing Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens (RURB) in ASEAN's Priority Integration Sectors
31 August 2016
By Yuanita Suhud ASEAN is standing at a momentous juncture. With the emergence of mega trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the …
Simplifying Rules of Origin, Reducing Non-tariff Barriers
22 September 2016
By Lili Yan Ing and Olivier Cadot The economic growth of East Asia has outperformed the world's growth for the last two decades. The emerging …
Going Back to the Spirit of ASEAN Charter
23 September 2016
By Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria While the grouping's 'internal' summits are meant to be business-like, the summits with its dialogue partners have been a chance …
How to Unlock the Potentials of ASEAN to Advance the SDG 2030 Agenda?
31 October 2016
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi Building on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in September 2016, world leaders signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals …
How ASEAN can Advance the SDG Agenda
31 October 2016
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Energy Economist Building on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in September 2016, world leaders signed up to the …
China's Trade Expansion: A Friend or a Foe for ASEAN Countries?
30 November 2016
By Rahmasari Istiandari The rapidly changing dynamics of global trade has prompted countries to continuously examine their roles in international trade, considering the fact that …
INSIGHT: Trump's Economic Policy and Impact on Indonesian Economy
13 December 2016
By Lili Yan Ing There are many questions about United States president-elect Donald Trump's economic policy and how it will affect the Indonesian economy. Although …
Accelerate the RCEP to Consolidate Asian Regional Integration
02 January 2017
By Lurong Chen There have been many statements in the media lately about the impact of the United States election on Asia, and specifically …
As the World Turns Away from Globalisation, How Should ASEAN Respond?
05 January 2017
By Lili Yan Ing After close to 70 years of trade liberalisation, a series of recent events (among others, Brexit in the U.K. and Donald …
The United States Non-stop Pivot to Asia
31 January 2017
By Lurong Chen The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is stranded, but the United States (US) 'pivot to Asia' is not. For the foreseeable future, the Asia-Pacific …
RCEP: More Relevant Now Than Ever
31 January 2017
By Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria When President-elect Donald Trump called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) a 'disaster' and vowed to pull out …
Protectionism Thrives in the West: Is the Pendulum of Globalisation Swinging to the East?
28 February 2017
By Rizqy Anandhika Globalisation is facing a major test of sustainability in the west with trade protectionism and populism mushrooming, but the trend is unlikely …
The US and ASEAN: Deal or No Deal?
31 March 2017
By Lili Yan Ing and Abigail Should the United States and ASEAN make a trade deal? First, let us discuss the economies. Over the past …
ASEAN Monetary Authorities Brace for Uncertain 2017
31 March 2017
By Jaysa Rafi Prana ASEAN members must remain vigilant to ensure a stable 2017 follows their solid 2016, and are cautiously observing the latest developments …
How Far Can the RCEP Ship Sail?
31 March 2017
By Maura Ada Décosterd Painted against the backdrop of a platinum-standard Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) appeared, at least for …
RCEP Facing a Critical Deadline
30 April 2017
By Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria ASEAN is well on its way to becoming a global leader for regional integration and an important …
Electrifying Emerging ASEAN through Off-grid Distributed Renewable Energy Systems
30 April 2017
By Han Phoumin Some 134 million people in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region do not have access to electricity (IEA and ERIA, …
After Brexit, an ASEAN-EU Trade Agreement?
30 April 2017
By Lili Yan Ing and Abigail Rising anti-globalisation sentiment Since World War II, the world has experienced a steady wave of globalisation. However, a series …
ADB at 50: Is it Ready to Face the New Challenges and Stay Relevant?
10 May 2017
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi More than 5,000 high profile delegates from all over the world are expected to attend the 50th Annual Meeting of the Asian …
Propelling ASEAN towards Clean Coal Technology
11 May 2017
By Han Phoumin Coal, the most abundant and reliable energy resource, will continue to be the dominant energy source in power generation to meet the …
How to Unlock the Potentials of ASEAN's Private Sector for the Great Energy Transition?
11 May 2017
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi South East Asian countries are faced with a set of interconnected yet fundamental energy transition dilemmas. The region's rapidly industrialising economies, intensifying …
Reforming Fossil Fuel Subsidies in ASEAN, India, and China
18 May 2017
By Han Phoumin Energy is heavily subsidised across the globe and energy subsidies exert an extensive economic burden on many countries, particularly on developing economies. …
Is the United States Ceding the Climate and Clean Energy Leadership to China?
26 May 2017
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi What happens if the United States (US) is not ready to lead the world on Climate Change and the Clean Energy Transition? …
The Next Revolution of Energy: Energy as Services
30 May 2017
By Yanfei Li Modern life can be characterized as a constant quest for energy. We make it a daily routine to refill our gas tanks, …
Should East Asia Retaliate against US Trade Policy?
31 May 2017
By Lili Yan Ing and Jaysa Rafi Prana Trump's aggressive stance could backfire on his country in the long term. President Donald Trump's trade agenda …
Solar Power for Poor Rural Households in ASEAN: Lessons from Cambodia
30 June 2017
By Han Phoumin In an innovative initiative to increase access to electrical power, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has adopted a rural electrification master …
Four Narratives of ASEAN that Makes It Unique at 50
11 August 2017
By Venkatachalam Anbumozhi The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which observes the golden jubilee of its foundation on 8 August, has come a long …
The Digital Economy is Necessary for ASEAN to Benefit from Industry 4.0
31 August 2017
By Rizqy Anandhika From AI and robots to big data and clean energy, disruptive technologies are rapidly redefining our daily lives, our businesses, our economies. …
Tackling Connectivity Issues Vital to Participating in Global E-Commerce
30 September 2017
By Lurong Chen Cross-border e-commerce has been a major development trend of international trade and globalization, which provides ASEAN and East Asia with greater opportunities. …
Benefits of Increasing Emission Standards for Coal-fired Power Plants in ASEAN beyond Environment and Health
02 October 2017
By Han Phoumin The East Asia Summit region depends heavily on coal, given its abundance, as a reliable energy source. Coal use patterns around the …
[email protected]: Building an ASEAN Community, Identity to Deepen Economic Integration
01 November 2017
By Jaysa Rafi Prana The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has played an essential role in maintaining peace and building prosperity in the region …
Emerging Asia to be the Global Epicentre of E-Commerce by 2025
01 December 2017
By Lurong Chen Over $25 billion in the gross merchandise volume was settled within within 24 hours through Alibaba's online retail marketplaces on this year's …
Rethinking a Circular Economy in the Face of Climate Change
30 January 2018
World leaders and climate negotiators have continued efforts to address climate change despite the United States relinquishing leadership. So it was perhaps with some …
Australia and Japan Should Seize the Moment on Trade
21 February 2018
Australia and Japan should take advantage of a recent win on the Trans-Pacific Partnership to push for further trade integration in the region, Fukunari Kimura …
ASEAN Rides the E-commerce Wave: Infrastructure, Human Capital, and Regulatory Frameworks
28 February 2018
With the emergence of the digital economy driving economic growth and creating new business opportunities around the world, how can the ASEAN nations catch this …
Australia and Japan’s Light Bulb Moment
12 March 2018
The future of Australia-Japan energy cooperation will be increasingly shaped by the growing demands of their Asian neighbours, Venkatachalam Anbumozhi writes. Current energy cooperation between …
Diagnosing the Causes of Inequality Crucial to Creating Good Policy in ASEAN
30 April 2018
One startling figure about recent global growth is that 82% of all wealth created in the last year went to the top 1%. After focusing …
Implications of the Growing Tensions over Trade between the US and China for ASEAN: What to Expect and A Way Forward
23 May 2018
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has played an essential role in building prosperity in the region in its 50 years of existence. ASEAN’s …
Saving the Planet and Making Profit: A Nexus Governance Approach for ASEAN
28 June 2018
ASEAN has put together an ambitious sustainable development agenda with its 2025 community vision. It has also played an important role in shaping the United …
Hydrogen on the rise as clean fuel
01 October 2018
Market conditions, gains in technology build momentum for a crucial role for the gas in the future energy landscape Hydrogen has long been widely applied …
Eyes on Indonesia: Short-term Pain, Long-term Gain
10 October 2018
Many eyes are on Indonesia, questioning the attractiveness of the country as an investment destination amid significant rupiah depreciation. Is it still smart to put …
Managing the G20's relevance: Japan's presidential agenda
07 December 2018
JAKARTA - The leaders of the Group of 20 — the world’s 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union — gathered in Buenos Aires last …
Tariffs a threat to clean energy future of Asia
14 December 2018
Delegates from around the world have gathered in Katowice, Poland, to discuss how to curb greenhouse gas emissions in order to realize the goals enshrined …
Indonesia and Japan: a role model in bilateral relations
14 February 2019
By Cantika Rustandi, Communications Consultant: The past few years point to signs of a changing global order that has significantly impacted global stability. Many countries …
Hydrogen for ASEAN Countries’ Clean Energy Transition in Road Transport Sector
14 May 2019
By Dr Yanfei Li: The road transport sector faces challenges in both energy security and environmental concern According to International Energy Agency (IEA), the …
Strengthening Global Governance & Multilateralism
03 June 2019
By Anita Prakash, Director for Policy Relations: Global governance systems must resonate with the interests of all of their members – small or large, developed …
Education Reform: A Policy Imperative for Changing Labor Market
01 July 2019
By Dr Rashesh Shrestha, Economist: Anxiety about the future of work is growing. Individuals, businesses, and policymakers, worried that increasing automation will make human labor …
Can Electric Vehicles Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Indonesia?
26 August 2019
By Dr Alloysius Joko Purwanto, Energy Economist: People living in the urban areas of Indonesia may soon see plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) running on their …
Saudi oil attack is wake-up call for Asian economies
19 September 2019
By Prof Jun Arima, Senior Policy Fellow for Energy and Environment: On September 14, drone attacks -- claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels -- hit …
Connectivity Plans in Indo-Pacific Need Institutional Support for Governance, Standards, and Sustainable Financing
27 December 2019
By Anita Prakash, Director for Policy Relations: As an evolving platform for regional architecture and economic growth, Indo-Pacific got a constructive nod from the leaders …
Asia’s Central Banks Must Rise to the Challenge of Climate Change
17 March 2020
By Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Energy Economist: Climate change is already a reality. The deadly bushfires in Australia, ferocious flooding in Indonesia and extended droughts …
Elaborating Transportation Policy during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia
18 March 2020
By Dr Alloysius Joko Purwanto , Energy Economist: The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has reached 172[1], an increase of 86 times since …
Covid-19: Asean Must Act More Boldly
24 March 2020
By Kavi Chongkittavorn, Senior Communications Advisor: The past 12 weeks have displayed Asean's strengths and exposed weaknesses when the grouping has had to respond to …
Imagining a Post-Coronavirus World
31 March 2020
By Kavi Chongkittavorn, Senior Communications Advisor: Prior to the World Health Organization categorising the Covid-19 outbreak as a global pandemic, nobody would have imagined that …
COVID-19 and the ‘Zoom’ to New Global Value Chains
05 April 2020
By Prof Fukunari Kimura, ERIA's Chief Economist, Christopher Findlay, and Shandre Thangavelu: COVID-19 has sent shock waves running up and down global value chains (GVCs). …
Covid Catch-22: Saving Lives or Rights?
07 April 2020
By Kavi Chongkittavorn, Senior Communications Advisor: Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, several countries have given special powers to their leaders, regardless of the political …
Will COVID-19 Devastate the Indian Economy?
14 April 2020
By Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Energy Economist: The economic impact of COVID-19 on India will depend on a number of factors: the virus spread itself, …
