By Mehmet Enes Beşer Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Southeast Asia’s economy. SMEs consist of over 97% of the total number of firms and add significantly to employment and GDP of ASEAN nations. But in spite of all their dynamism and compactness, ASEAN SMEs are still firmly under-connected into global value chains (GVCs)—transborder production and distribution ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer There is no other nation-state that comes close to equaling the breadth and depth of Chinese engagement in the Cambodian international relations world. Through investment and infrastructure, China has emerged as Cambodia’s number one development partner—and also as its number one external actor. The extent of the relationship is staggering—not least in terms of sheer numbers—but ...
By Michael Roberts On the first day of talks during US President Donald Trump’s recent state visit to China, his host China’s Xi Jinping invoked the so-called “Thucydides trap” to warn against any war between the two superpowers that now dominate the world economic and political landscape. Xi was referring to the fifth-century BC Greek historian Thucydides who (it is ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Cambodia comes to a juncture in its development journey. Three decades of rapid GDP growth led by garments, construction, and tourism have ended, and Cambodia now confronts a daunting set of domestic and international challenges. Its near-term economic goals—to become an upper-middle-income country in the 2030s and a high-income country by 2050—are ambitious but feasible. To ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Green growth, or economic and environmentally sustainable as well as inclusive development, is increasingly the focus of ASEAN medium- and long-term development strategies. For an area confronting increasing energy demand, environmental degradation, and exposure to climate change, green economy transition is now not an option but already a compelling necessity. Green technology innovation lies at the ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer In a climate of growing tensions and mounting rhetoric, China–US relations look more precarious by the minute. From tech controls and trade wars to ideological sparring and geostrategic posturing, both countries have been caught in a series of strategic moves reflective of an escalating distrust. But under the cover of hostility is a tough reality hidden ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer As protectionism rises and the global political system increasingly fragments, with supply chains being disrupted and rearranged, China’s further opening-up stands out as a strong opposing trend. While other economies are heading towards seclusion—hardening markets, curtailing technology, turning to economic nationalism—China is opting for greater engagement with the globe. This is not just an adjustment of ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Bangladesh in the past two decades has witnessed unparallel economic advance and comparative political stability under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Through the success saga has been the robust economic and strategic relationship with India, Bangladesh’s largest and formerly most critical external actor neighbor. From cross-border linking and sharing of energy to security and ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Australian regional ambition resembles the manner the nation considers Indonesia, a country that holds a key position in the regional geopolitical constructs of Southeast Asia. The relations among the two neighbor nations stretch for decades and constitute economic, security, and diplomatic relations. The more the world goes internationally, regional inclusion of Indonesia by Australia becomes more ...
By Gökalp Erbaş There is much debate about the possible economic effects of Europe’s rearmament. When examining the discussions on this topic, the most critical question seems to be: Has there been a structural change in the economic function of the arms industry from the past to the present? The arms industry actually works to produce security, which is a ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Cambodia stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey, striving to transition from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country by 2030. This ambitious goal necessitates not only rapid economic growth but also a focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience. The nation’s trajectory is influenced by various factors, including economic diversification, environmental challenges, and geopolitical dynamics. ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer In an increasingly bipolar global order—autocracy vs. democracy, West vs. East, United States vs. China—Vietnam doesn’t fit quite so well. Honed to high definition by the press into either China’s potential enemy in the South China Sea or, conversely, as a natural ally in socialist solidarity, Vietnam is neither. Hanoi-Beijing is an old and mature relationship ...