U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called China a "threat" at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31. The Chinese defense chief skipped the event but the foreign ministry accused Washington of "stoking flames."
Indo-Pacific

US pushes Asian allies, China defense chief absent: 5 Shangri-La takeaways

Hegseth urges bigger military spending, but Southeast Asia questions Trump's tariffs

2 June 2025
China's Hu Gangfeng leads a delegation from the People's Liberation Army National Defense University at this year's Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, in the absence of Defense Minister Dong Jun.
Indo-Pacific

China's low profile at defense forum leaves US room to woo Asia

Beijing slams Hegseth speech but cedes Shangri-La spotlight in Singapore

1 June 2025
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, where he told American allies in the Indo-Pacific that "deterrence doesn't come on the cheap" and urged them to boost military spending.
Indo-Pacific

US urges Asian allies to boost defense spending to deter China 'aggression'

Hegseth assures Indo-Pacific engagement, unveils radar project in Australia

31 May 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.
Indo-Pacific

France's Macron calls for 'new coalition' between Asia and Europe

President warns of 'spheres of coercion' imposing their value on free countries

31 May 2025
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong speaks during a future of Asia in Tokyo on May 29. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
The Future of Asia 2025

Singapore deputy PM Gan calls for 'new alliances' amid U.S. tariffs

City-state's tariff negotiator warns rules-based trade order being 'undermined'

29 May 2025
People are donning masks again in Bangkok as Thailand reports 187,000 COVID-19 cases and 46 deaths from the virus this year. 
Coronavirus

Thailand, Singapore and China mask up as COVID-19 reemerges

Songkran festival partly to blame as Thai authorities report 46 deaths from virus

29 May 2025
Container ships at Jakarta International Container Terminal. Southeast Asian countries are offering to buy more U.S. products in tariff negotiations with Washington. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Trump tariffs

ASEAN countries struggle to resolve Trump's 'divide and conquer' tariffs

Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia on U.S. priority talks list but no firm deals yet

28 May 2025
A capsule at Kinn Habitat in Singapore's Chinatown. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Travel & Leisure

Singapore's stylish new capsule hotels capture young travelers

Budget-conscious guests sacrifice space for chance to mingle

24 May 2025
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim briefs journalists in Kuala Lumpur on May 21 ahead of an ASEAN summit. (Photo by Norman Goh)
22 May 2025
People walk through Singapore's business district in April: The city-state maintained its GDP projections for the year, but noted Trump's uncertain tariff policies clouded overall regional outlook. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) 
Economy

Singapore keeps 2025 GDP growth target despite Trump tariff pain

City-state maintains upper end of projections at 2%, logging 3.9% growth in Q1

22 May 2025
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will continue to act also as Singapore's finance minister in this parliament. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Politics

Singapore PM Wong keeps finance post amid economy, trade worries

City-state's leader keeps 'experienced hands' in post-election cabinet reshuffle

21 May 2025
'Brand America' once carried over from the U.S. government to its corporates as they expanded offshore.
Opinion

The collapse of 'Brand America' under Trump

US CEOs must refuse to dim the values that gave them a global edge

21 May 2025
Participants at a finance boot camp for scions of wealthy clients of OCBC Bank of Singapore attend a panel discussion at Singapore Management University. Singaporean banks UOB, DBS and OCBC are running more of these programs, with Chinese families being increasingly targeted. (Photo by OCBC)
ASEAN Money

Singapore's private banks use finance boot camps to target wealthy Chinese scions

City-state's lenders see heirs of family fortunes as key potential market

20 May 2025
 Royal Healthcare offers health screenings and specialized services in about 20 different fields.The company is known for its customer-friendly services. (Royal Healthcare) 
Business deals

Japan's Sojitz buys Singapore's high-end Royal Healthcare

Trading house aims to gather expertise and expand in other developed markets

20 May 2025
A container terminal in Singapore. The trade-oriented economy expects headwinds from U.S. tariffs for the rest of the year. 
Economy

Trade worries cloud ASEAN's outlook after slow Q1 GDP growth

Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand predict weaker-than-expected full-year growth

19 May 2025
Singapore Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore.
Transportation

Singapore Airlines warns of trade headwinds despite record annual profit

Carrier flags demand risks as operating profit fell 37% on rising costs, lower yields

16 May 2025
The mine detection system will be launched from unmanned boats produced by Singapore's ST Engineering. (Thales © Eloi Stichelbaut | PolaRyse)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

France's Thales to supply AI mine detection system to Singapore Navy

Defense giant plans to tap Asian demand with new research center in country

15 May 2025
Artist's impression of Changi Airport's Terminal 5 in Singapore, which will be completed over the next decade.
Transportation

Singapore's Changi Airport begins major terminal expansion

Annual passenger capacity will rise 50% to 140m by mid-2030s

14 May 2025
Consumer tech group Sea's revenue grew nearly 30% in the first quarter of 2025 as e-commerce orders increased.
Technology

Singapore's Sea posts $400m Q1 profit on strong e-commerce sales

Record high shopping orders help boost group's total revenue by 30%

13 May 2025
Incumbents in Australia, Singapore and Canada all won recent elections on platforms including strong opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff threats. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP, Reuters and Suzu Takahashi)
Opinion

US allies say no at the ballot box to Trump's tariff bullying

Australia, Singapore and Canada reelect incumbents with strong anti-MAGA stances

10 May 2025
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong waves during his speech at the Yio Chu Kang Stadium assembly center on May 4. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
9 May 2025
National Gallery Singapore’s “City of Others” is an ambitious “remapping” of Paris – plotted across its three galleries are the artworks and stories of Asian artists and artisans who sojourned or settled there in the early 20th century, such as Japanese lacquer artist Katsu Hamanaka. (All installation images courtesy of National Gallery Singapore)
Arts

How Asian artists made their mark on Paris

National Gallery Singapore exhibition reframes modern art history of French capital

9 May 2025
An Isetan store in Singapore. At its peak, the company had six locations in the country. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Retail

Japan's Isetan department store to shut suburban Singapore store

E-commerce and rising rents leave operator with just two stores in the city-state

9 May 2025
Sea's CEO Forrest Li, left, attends the opening of its new office for its rebranded digital finance unit, Monee, in Singapore on May 8. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Technology

Singapore's Sea bets on fintech growth with new headquarters

Tech group opens office to house up to 1,500 staff

8 May 2025
People walk past DBS signage in Singapore: DBS Group Holdings cited rising trade tensions after posting a drop in year-on-year Q1 results.
Finance

Singapore's DBS Q1 profits dip 2% amid Trump headwinds

Southeast Asia's largest lender expects annual results below 2024

8 May 2025
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks at a campaign rally on April 24. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Opinion

Lawrence Wong won't get a honeymoon after Singapore election win

Victory offers stability, but the challenge now lies in weathering Trump's trade war

7 May 2025
UOB's ratio of non-performing loans crept up to 1.6% in the first quarter of 2025.
Finance

Singapore's UOB braces for slowdown after flat Q1 profit growth

Lender raises loss allowances as it eyes ASEAN opportunities to trump US tariffs

7 May 2025
Containers at the Yantian port in Shenzhen on April 17. China releases its trade data for April on Friday.
Your Week in Asia

Tariff impact data, Singapore bank earnings, major Indian IPO

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

4 May 2025
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong smiles as he arrives for a speech at the Yio Chu Kang Stadium on May 4, after the country's general election held the day before. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Singapore election

Singapore PM Wong's 'conservatism' delivers landslide, jolts rivals

Analysts say ruling party's focus on track record, weak opposition drove swing

4 May 2025