How US manufacturing was gutted with a smile
Smile Curve convinced US to value research, branding and design over manufacturing but the theory always measured the wrong thing
Indonesia-China drone clash exposes foreign labor oversight gaps
Clash between Indonesian soldiers and Chinese workers triggers needed new scrutiny of China-backed projects
China’s Hainan Free Trade Port heralds new era of openness
Port’s relaunch to pilot trade reforms for potential national rollout while easing foreign access to China’s markets
Thai-Cambodia conflict escalates perilously from land to sea
Gulf of Thailand in play as border conflict spreads to sea, raising risks for international shipping, tourism and energy production
China Vanke default watch is Xi’s moment to let markets lead
New property sector turmoil could curb Beijing’s appetite for market-led price-clearing and policymaking at a crucial economic juncture


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DECEMBER 19, 2025
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