Asian Insider: Japan eyes weapons export to SE Asia | Penang’s little train that could

Dear ST reader,

We hope you’ve been keeping well.

As we begin 2024, it’s natural to cast our sights forward to the risks and opportunities the year holds for Asia, even as we assess the events of last year.

Associate editor Ravi Velloor analyses how the region will navigate the numerous political and economic currents in store, and the risks and opportunities they bring. Among the issues he discusses are how the onward march of technology will affect employment, and the regional flashpoints to watch, be it the outcome of Taiwan’s presidential election or the maritime incidents between vessels belonging to the Philippines and China.

Read too Walter Sim’s report on Japan’s hopes of supplying lethal weapons to South-east Asia, which will mark a paradigm shift in the pacifist country’s defence policy.

Meanwhile Indonesia received the thumbs-up from analysts for its chairmanship of Asean last year, reports Hariz Baharudin from Jakarta, despite charting limited progress on regional issues like the civil war in Myanmar and tensions in the South China Sea.

And over in South Korea, a knife attack capped a tumultuous year for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, reports Wendy Teo.

We also have some environment-friendly offerings this week. Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee visits low-emission rice fields in Vietnam, while India bureau chief Nirmala Ganapathy explores how a village in Meghalaya state is pursuing sustainable tourism.