Asian Insider

SPH Media
  • 4.6 (10)
  • Politics
  • Updated weekly

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents. Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

  1. 21 hr ago

    Who’s afraid of BRICS?

    Donald Trump need not be. BRICS is nowhere near creating an alternative to the US-led world order, says our expert. Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Sarang Shidore, the director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute in Washington DC. In a conversation taking stock of the grouping’s annual meeting in New Delhi on Sept 12-13, he calls BRICS an “interesting experiment” that is worth studying.  Like ASEAN, it operates on consensus but has no charter. BRICS has been on a membership drive and now covers nearly all the regions outside of the wealthy western world. BRICS comprises 11 members - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates. It also has 'partner countries' including the likes of Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. US President Donald Trump has blasted the grouping, suspecting it of wanting to supplant the US dollar, the world’s leading currency. But de-dollarisation is not on the horizon, Shidore says. Instead, the body is asking for “modest, not revolutionary” reforms in the world order. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:40 Why should Asean care about BRICS? 6:50 What the New Delhi summit achieved 11:50 What does Trump see in BRICS? 19:30 ‘Competition within cooperation’: The China-India dance  27:10 US vs China: Destined to clash over AI in BRICS nations? 33:15 What are Beijing’s goals when it chairs BRICS in 2027? 37:45 Is BRICS ever going to create an alternative world order? Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo  Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E  Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Bhagyashree Garekar (bhagya@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX  YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR  Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg  --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB  Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX  --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Who’s afraid of BRICS?

  2. 10 Sept

    Nine-year-olds on drugs: Has the world abandoned Myanmar?

    An unending conflict and shrinking aid leave Myanmar’s refugees and displaced in increasingly dire circumstances. Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, he speaks with the British psychotherapist and aid worker Edward Blakeney on the travails of Myanmar’s 1.6 million exiles and 4 million internally displaced people. What emerges is a story of food shortages, medical issues including mental trauma, and lack of educational opportunities among an exile diaspora that now stretches from Thailand to Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka. Highlights (click/tap above) 2:30 Brutal war and a worsening refugee situation 5:20 A 9-year-old drug addict 8:40 Wasting, malnourished children 14:10 Ukraine distraction, journalists under the gun 24:00 Has Blakeney seen a shrink himself, given what he has seen and experienced? Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX  YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR  Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Nine-year-olds on drugs: Has the world abandoned Myanmar?

  3. 3 Sept

    Leaving Taiwan after four years: What our correspondent learnt

    Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee reflects on her four-year journey in this special farewell episode. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. After four years of reporting from the frontlines, Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee is hanging up her media pass to embark on a new chapter. In this special farewell episode, host Li Xueying sits down with Wai Yee for one final, reflective look back at the island she called home for the past four years. They discuss the stark paradox of high-tech industries coexisting with deep-rooted tradition, and the everyday resilience of people living with geopolitical uncertainty. Wai Yee shares the stories that defined her tenure in Taiwan, and what she will miss most. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:08 Why it’s time to say goodbye: Wai Yee’s next chapter 3:56 Taiwan’s high-tech prowess meets deep-rooted tradition 6:16 How locals cope with geopolitical pressure 10:50 Taiwan’s mangoes becoming hot property in Europe 16:29 Navigating cross-strait families and shifting identities 20:17 What Wai Yee will miss most about Taiwan Read Yip Wai Yee’s articles here: https://str.sg/wFZk  Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR  Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x   Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg) Edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX  YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR  Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Leaving Taiwan after four years: What our correspondent learnt

  4. 27 Aug

    Is Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition reaching breaking point before GE16?

    With DAP committed to the unity government, can Anwar Ibrahim reform his coalition before the next general election? Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus. For our August episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Ong Kian Ming, a former deputy minister and adjunct professor at Taylor’s University.  Highlights (click/tap above): 5:20 DAP members vote to stay in government: Is it the right choice? 8:40 Is the DAP grassroots divided over call to stay in government? 17:40 What is the ideal situation for DAP? Is it time to return to the opposition?  19:50 Should Anwar Ibrahim step back to allow Pakatan Harapan to rebuild for 16th general election? 24:40 Anwar’s strategy: Tactical survival or a genuine long-term plan? 31:00 Are Anwar’s advisers listening? Here’s what we have to say to them 37:10 Side note: Formula 1 is back in Sepang, but what sporting events do we want Malaysia to host? Read more: Malaysia’s DAP votes to stay in government, easing pressure on PM Anwar after state polls setbacks: https://str.sg/3Tr5u Malaysia keeps voting for change. Is Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan running out of time to deliver?: https://str.sg/mUbA F1 race in Malaysia: Country eyes a rise in tourists, increased business for small traders: https://str.sg/xboz  Read Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr  Read Shannon Teoh's articles: https://str.sg/wzyK  Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Zurairi A.R. (zurairi@sph.com.sg)   Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX  YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR  Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Is Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition reaching breaking point before GE16?

  5. 13 Aug

    China’s economy has a big problem: Who will keep buying?

    What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics? Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum’s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China.  It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China. Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world, the mainland’s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China’s next growth phase. Highlights (click/tap above) 4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy 9:00 China’s property market prospects 11:10 ‘Ageing concubine’ Europe ‘cooking up’ negativity 15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea 19:40 You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream 23:10 ‘Involution’ and its imperatives 25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz 27:00 China’s watching US destroy itself 33:00 Female power in China More at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26 Produced and edited by Radio Davos: Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll Studio production: Gareth Nolan --- Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- Discover more Radio Davos podcasts:From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/All podcasts: wef.ch/podcasts: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos: https://pod.link/1504682164Meet the Leader: https://pod.link/1534915560Agenda Dialogues: https://pod.link/1574956552 --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    China’s economy has a big problem: Who will keep buying?

  6. 6 Aug

    When Japan's prisons become a safety net for the elderly

    Japan's ageing crisis has turned prisons into an unlikely safety net for lonely seniors.Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. Japan's prisons are increasingly housing a growing number of elderly inmates, many of whom are repeat offenders convicted of minor crimes. Why would anyone choose prison over freedom? In this episode, host Li Xueying speaks with Japan correspondent Walter Sim as he takes the audience inside Tochigi Prison, Japan's largest women's correctional facility, where an unexpected trend is raising difficult questions about the country's rapidly ageing society. Some elderly women are repeatedly committing minor offences, but the reasons behind their actions may not be what you expect. Their stories reveal deeper challenges facing Japan, from loneliness and shrinking family support networks to rising care costs and an ageing population. What happens when prison becomes part of a country's social safety net? Highlights (click/tap above): 0:42 Japan's demographic challenges and prison population trends 2:23 Social dynamics within Tochigi’s prison 4:18 The paradox of prisons feeling like nursing homes 8:12 Broken social safety nets and the rise of "kodokushi" 10:31 The structural gaps in healthcare and caregivers 12:43 Japan's policy reforms towards rehabilitation 15:10 Implications of declining crime rates and prison closures Read Walter Sim’s article here:https://str.sg/kfTG  Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR  Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x   Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg) Edited by: Natasha Liew Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX  YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR  Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    When Japan's prisons become a safety net for the elderly

  7. 23 Jul

    In China, AI is ‘everything, everywhere’. Is there a dark side?

    From running marathons to being personalised chefs, robots are redefining life in the future. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus. For July, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up with ST’s senior China correspondents Yew Lun Tian and Daryl Loo. Their focus is on China’s AI and robots and what they mean for jobs, IPOs and the US-China rivalry.  On the ground, Lun Tian notes that AI has become “everything, everywhere, all at once.” Everyday innovations now range from driverless robotaxis and near-unmanned factories to AI-generated microdramas. Such tech advancements have translated into a can-do spirit for China.  The government has framed China’s open-source AI models as a driver of equitable global development—offering Beijing a chance to demonstrate leadership and responsible AI governance. However, skeptics argue against expanding China’s influence in setting global standards. Domestically, it has also sparked a massive capital surge in the form of IPOs. And talent is in such short supply that Chinese companies now have to look overseas.   While the overall picture is a positive one, there is an underbelly in the form of social inequalities, need for regulation as well as ethical issues. There are also implications for US-China ties. AI has become yet another topic that shows how difficult it is for both sides to come together. Yet, dialogue is urgently needed for both Beijing and Washington to identify low-hanging fruits and establish basic guardrails. What do the podcasters hope to see in future? Albert and Daryl wish for a robot that can analyse, wash and fold their laundry, while Lun Tian would like a “master shifu” to answer her burning questions.  Highlights (click/tap above):  7:43 AI is “everything, everywhere all at once” 10:13 President Xi lays out China’s vision 13:48 Scramble for public listings 17:25 Preparing students to thrive 22:36 Is AI missing out on women’s talent? 24:54 AI competition could be the new nuclear arms race 31:36 More harm than good? Read more: https://str.sg/4pqfj Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters  Host: Albert Wai (albertw@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    In China, AI is ‘everything, everywhere’. Is there a dark side?

  8. 16 Jul

    Why China's economy doesn't add up, according to one economist

    The gap between Beijing's stated growth rates and actual economic performance is widening considerably, says expert Synopsis: Every third Friday of the month, The Straits Times gets its US Bureau Chief to analyse the hottest political and trending talking points. In this episode, US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar chats with Dr Logan Wright, an expert on the Chinese economy. He is based in Washington, DC, after living and working in Beijing and Hong Kong for over two decades.  Wright is a partner at Rhodium Group, a US research and advisory group. He leads the firm’s China markets research work. He is also a senior associate of the trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).  His book Broken China: How the Economic Miracle Shattered and What it Means for the World hits the stores in September 2026. In this episode, he points out that most analysts treat the Chinese economy differently from other economies. “They tend to look at the Chinese system and say this is a different political system, it produces outputs that are long-term plans. Therefore, we filter incoming data in terms of how China is doing based on its long-term plans and its declared goals. From a financial system perspective, it looks entirely different,” he says. He also sketches out what strikes him as the most troubling aspect of the Chinese economy today.  Highlights (click/tap above):  1:20 Analysis of China's actual growth vs. official reports 2:50 Is that a minority opinion? 5:00 The most troubling aspects of the Chinese economy 9:10 Evaluating the quality of Chinese economic data 13:00 AI's impact on returns in the Chinese economy 17:00 When will the property sector rebound? 22:00 Will policy efforts to boost domestic consumption succeed? 25:00 Will China’s low birth rates, high death rates have a large impact on growth? 27:00 The worsening problem of excess industrial capacity 29:10 Reasons South-east Asia must pay attention to China Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo  Bhagyashree Garekar’s LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gD6E  Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz  Host: Bhagyashree Garekar (bhagya@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7  Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsider See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Why China's economy doesn't add up, according to one economist
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents. Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Information

  • Creator
    SPH Media
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    574
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Straits Times
  • Show Website
    Asian Insider

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