Latest news with #SharonSeah
The Diplomat
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Diplomat
ASEAN and the China-US Trade War
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Sharon Seah – senior fellow and coordinator at the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore – is the 468th in 'The Trans-Pacific View Insight Series.' Describe the regional vibe at the recent ASEAN Summit toward U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats. One of the greatest preoccupations of regional leaders since April 2, 2025 has been with the alarming levels of rising protectionism and disruptive actions seeking to undermine the open, free, multilateral trading system. Southeast Asia has benefited from an open, free, and fair global order for many decades since ASEAN countries' independence. An open and free global trading system, undergirded by robust and strong international law, has served small states well. Trade is ASEAN's lifeline. Without trade, ASEAN cannot maintain its relevance with the major partners. Because of these concerns, ASEAN leaders delivered a statement calling out unilateral and retaliatory actions that risk fragmenting the global economic order. They further instructed the officials to track the risks of trade diversions and engage in negotiations with partners, and also reiterated their commitment to maintaining open and secure trade flows and strengthening supply chain resilience. In the face of such volatility and uncertainty, accelerating ASEAN's regional economic integration has become a top priority agenda. This includes driving the negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework, upgrading ASEAN's Trade in Goods Agreement, upgrading different ASEAN+ 1 FTAs to future proof and modernize these agreements, strengthening and increasing intra-ASEAN trade (which includes the removal of non-tariff barriers), and creating safety nets for the region's most vulnerable workers and industries. Analyze how Southeast Asian capitals are managing relations with Washington while concurrently balancing their countries' strategic position in the broader China-U.S. trade war. President Trump's tariffs are currently at the baseline of 10 percent, but the 90-day 'pause' on higher rates is set to expire by July 8. The tariffs are causing much anxiety in capitals around Southeast Asia. Some countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos – which are subject to some of the highest levels of tariffs – have yet to conclusively reach a settlement. The silver lining, at least at the time of response to this question, is that the U.S. has reportedly 'reached a deal' with China on the export of rare earth elements and continued acceptance of Chinese students in U.S. higher education institutions. Regional governments know enough, by now, not to take such news at face value. Anything can change overnight. Conventional knowledge tells us that if the U.S. is more or less happy with the Chinese deal, then perhaps the level of pressure and scrutiny on Southeast Asia would come down. One of the biggest issues under discussion is how Southeast Asia provides a backdoor for Chinese goods to flow through to the U.S. and how the region can help to stem this flow. But these are not conventional times, and everything is fair game to the current administration. With the U.S. now focusing on the Iran strikes and counter-responses, it's an open question whether there is bandwidth to conclude more trade deals with countries ahead of the July 8 deadline. With the distraction of the Iran-Israel conflict and potential for widening wars in the Middle East, it remains to be seen if President Trump would pay sufficient attention to the Pandora's box of tariffs. Examine how Southeast Asian countries are protecting specific industries and trans-shipment capabilities that advance their respective national interests. Export re-direction from China to Southeast Asia is a real concern. Many Southeast Asian economies are heavily export-oriented so having to deal with the double whammy of tariff imposition from one of their biggest markets (the U.S.) as well as re-direction from one of their biggest trading partners (China) is very challenging. It would mean that domestic manufacturing and export industries will be impacted. For example, the Cambodian garment industry's biggest export destination is the U.S. but with 49 percent tariffs, it would be difficult for exporters to bear the cost. In effect, the industry will see greater cancellation of orders because U.S. retailers would not be willing to bear this cost either. Identify supply chain risks and opportunities facing Southeast Asian companies amid China-U.S. trade tensions. Assuming that the U.S.-Iran conflict can be contained, there is currently the risk that the Strait of Hormuz, where much of Asia-Europe trade transits, could be blockaded. This is the most significant development that can disrupt trade flows and importantly the flow of essential goods such as LNG and petroleum to Asia. U.S.-China trade tensions, for the moment, will take a backseat to what is happening in the Middle East. As seen the last few times when the world experienced major blockages of waterways such as the Suez Canal, the business costs of diversifying access markets, halting production, manufacturing, and delaying deliveries are tremendously high. Southeast Asian companies have learned to diversify into different markets and looked for new suppliers that are geographically not reliant on open routes. It is also an opportunity for companies to invest in better R&D to create higher value goods in order to claim a place in the supply chains. Assess the geopolitical implications of ASEAN states' calculations in negotiating tariffs with Washington. Even if the conflict in the Middle East recedes, the environment for constructive negotiations on trade has deteriorated, as the recently concluded G-7 summit showed. The outlook therefore for future trade gatherings such as the G-20 in Seoul is dampened, especially if the U.S. representative is distracted and unwilling to negotiate. The question troubling many trading nations of the world is whether the rate of diminishing returns in pursuing the U.S. for economic deals is worthwhile or whether it would be better to deepen relations with other partners such as China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, etc. The chances of ASEAN leaders getting a meeting with President Trump at this year's ASEAN Summit or on invitation to Washington D.C. have diminished. In fact, from the announcement of Liberation Day tariffs, few world leaders have managed to speak to President Trump and even if they did secure something of a 'deal,' may find the terms changing over time. It would seem the better strategy is to build ASEAN's own economic resilience up by deepening integration, increasing intra-regional trade from the current levels of 22 percent, attracting greater FDI from nontraditional partners such as the Gulf states, and accelerating the adoption of ease of business schemes such as the ASEAN Single Window Plus (which is meant to link ASEAN countries' customs/border systems with those of its major trading partners to facilitate greater ease of transactions) and cross-border e-payment systems etc.
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
New firm could accelerate S'pore clean energy import ambitions by plugging financing gap
Singapore has a target of importing 6 gigawatts of electricity by 2035 – about a third of the country's energy needs then. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG SINGAPORE – Singapore recently took one step closer to satiating its hunger for clean power from the region, with the set-up of a government-linked company to oversee the development of electricity interconnectors between countries. This development is significant as it directly addresses a key pain point in importing electricity – the set-up of grid infrastructure to deliver electricity from where it is generated, such as a solar farm in Indonesia, to the households and offices here. There is currently low appetite among financial institutions to fund such infrastructure, largely due to the perceived high risks and large upfront costs. As Ms Sharon Seah, coordinator at the Asean Studies Centre and Climate Change in South-east Asia Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, noted, a big hurdle to realising a regional grid is project financing and assessing whether projects are bankable. But the set-up of Singapore Energy Interconnections (SGEI) in April could help to increase investor confidence and attract new funding – and accelerate the Republic's drive to import more clean-generated electricity. SGEI had on May 30 told ST that its role is to invest in, develop, own and operate interconnectors to import electricity. This comes after SGEI announced its first deal to develop a new subsea electricity cable between Indonesia and Singapore. Singapore has a target of importing 6 gigawatts of electricity by 2035 – about a third of the country's energy needs then. The Republic currently relies on natural gas, a fossil fuel, for around 95 per cent of its electricity, and cutting emissions from the power sector is critical if the country is to meet its eventual goal of reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century. Ms Dinita Setyawati, a senior energy analyst at energy think-tank Ember, said the establishment of SGEI is likely to attract increased financing and leverage additional resources for the grid, such as capital, expertise and technology. Ms Seah added: 'Governments need access to financing, investors want to assess viability of long-term infrastructure projects and companies also need to be assured of such support. 'Investors will be assured of long-term viability of infrastructure projects with the involvement of SGEI, which is government-linked,' she said. The Asean power grid, first mooted in 1997, finally made headway after Singapore said in 2021 that it plans to import around 30 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources, such as renewable energy plants, by 2035 . The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia- Singapore electricity import pilot was launched in 2022. That same year, Singapore started importing up to 100MW of hydropower from Laos via existing interconnectors – cross-border electricity transmission lines – between the four countries. While additional financing and resources are critical enablers of Singapore's electricity import target, establishing such partnerships also require a great deal of coordination, which SGEI can help to smoothen. According to a May 15 report by Ember, cross-border grid projects require strong political coordination, harmonised regulations and long-term investment commitments. This is because development timelines can span years and investors may view such projects as high risk due to the complexity of regional governance and financing structures. SGEI could help in this area. The firm had said that it will work with partners in Asean and other stakeholders to create the required infrastructure to enable cross-border electricity trade as it focuses on building, owning and operating regional power interconnections. It also said it will work closely with regional partners to develop renewable energy projects and promote best practices, as well as facilitate technical cooperation, within the power sector. Moreover, with SGEI overseeing the development of the interconnectors, successful projects could also become proof of concept that can increase cross-border trade bilaterally or even, multilaterally. While there are already existing interconnectors within the region – such as those between Malaysia and Singapore – lessons can be drawn on how the company works with others to plan, finance and develop new interconnectors and associated assets for low-carbon electricity to be traded between countries when these projects come to fruition. Lessons from these bilateral projects could also pave the way for the development for an Asean-wide power grid. That Singapore is taking the lead on the Asean grid is unsurprising, given the lack of renewable energy resources within its borders. But for a regional grid to take off, other countries also need to be willing to participate. ' While Singapore might take the lead in off-taking clean energy through shared infrastructure, other Asean member states need to be onboard in order to establish a meaningful multilateral cooperation towards a scalable and sustainable regional power market,' said Dr Victor Nian, the founding co-chairman of independent think-tank Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources Victor Nian. For example, countries will need to establish mutually accepted codes and standards, as well as a market and governance framework for regional power trade, he said. Countries can also show strong political commitment for decarbonisation, amend national laws such as allowing foreign investments in critical infrastructure, or provide data to help assess projects' bankability, said Ms Seah. Independent research and energy intelligence firm Rystad Energy's lead renewables and power analyst for Asia Pacific Raksit Pattanapitoon said reaping benefits from a regional grid will require coordinated cooperation between countries. Supplier countries, for instance, will need to know what benefits they can reap from being linked up with another market, he said. When more countries start to signal its demand for renewable energy, like how Singapore is committing to up to 6GW of electricity imports, it could help to create a regional market and provide an impetus to develop the grid. In South-east Asia, renewable resources are unevenly distributed, so having a connected grid could allow countries to trade electricity freely to meet rising demand. Such a grid would hedge against the intermittencies of renewables. Bilateral agreements could also be stepping stones to eventually have interconnections for the region to trade low-carbon electricity to realise the vision of the Asean power grid. Progress is already being made on bilateral deals, as seen with deals between Singapore and various countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Connecting the national power systems of all 10 Asean countries is a tricky and mammoth task fraught with many technical obstacles. But National University of Singapore's Sustainable and Green Finance Institute's senior research fellow and energy transition lead, Dr David Broadstock, said that large grids are not uncommon, as seen in regions like Europe, where Asean can learn from. He added that recent developments point to an appetite for an Asean grid. Other than the progression of bilateral and multilateral agreements, a feasibility study of a Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines power integration project is also expected to be completed in 2025. These provide a glimpse of how countries can come together to make the grid a reality. Chin Hui Shan is a journalist covering the environment beat at The Straits Times. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Logitech is Flipping the Script on Complex Meetings with Rally Board 65
All-in-one video solution packs advanced capabilities into a simple, mobile conferencing device SINGAPORE and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI), today announced Rally Board 65, an all-in-one portable video conference solution that combines intelligent audio and video with a 65" touchscreen display. Rally Board 65 is simple enough to roll on a cart into satellite offices, yet sophisticated enough to pack a suite of AI-powered features, occupancy and environmental detection into traditional meeting rooms. Businesses face this dilemma every day: they want to provide modern video conferencing tools for their hybrid workforces, but IT teams are grappling with increasing workloads as their tech environments become more complicated. "Today's hybrid workforce demands that every space—be it an open area, a traditional meeting room, or a collaboration zone—be video‑enabled and ready for spontaneous collaboration," said Sharon Seah, Head of Sales (Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam), Logitech for Business. "That insight led us to ask: how do you deliver enterprise‑grade conferencing intelligence without the deployment headaches? Rally Board 65 is our answer—a flexible, plug‑and‑play platform that dismantles the complexity companies face." The powerful, all-in-one video conferencing solution can be up and running within minutes in Android, PC, or BYOD mode, whether teams use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet*. Simply roll Rally Board 65 on a cart into an open space and flip the device 180 degrees to orient the camera at eye level, or install it in a meeting room with the camera above or below the screen–all with very little IT support. Building on its exceptionally sharp 4K video, Rally Board 65 comes loaded with AI-powered audio visual tech RightSight 2 and RightSound 2 that have become hallmarks of Logitech's video bars. To further refine the experience, Camera Zone limits visual framing and Mic Zone minimizes sound pickup within a designated area. The new Depth Blur technique obscures surroundings, an effect similar to background blur people are accustomed to using on their desktops during video calls. "Think of this trio as a digital cocoon for meetings in open spaces," said Henry Levak, VP of Product, Logitech for Business. "Rally Board 65 uses 3D spatial mapping technology to focus on the action in the meeting, not outside distractions." Sensors within Rally Board 65 detect the presence of people so that IT teams can get accurate readings of how and when employees are using video spaces. These sensors also analyze environmental data like humidity, temperature, and CO2 levels, assign a room health and later, will provide a room energy score, then deliver recommendations to increase ventilation, take breaks, or reduce the number of seats in a room. Insights are fed into Logitech Sync, a centralized platform for IT teams to get a bird's eye view of their organization, drill down for details on specific room performance, and automatically book and release rooms. Approach to SustainabilityUsing our Design for Sustainability principles, Rally Board 65 was engineered to minimize its environmental impact, using up to 41%* next-life plastics, low-carbon aluminum, recycled fabrics, and FSC-certified packaging. Environmental benefits go beyond physical design. The radar system in Rally Board 65 allows the device to automatically switch to a lower power state when no one is in the space–a function that can significantly reduce the power consumption of customers' commercial buildings. Occupancy, room health, and energy sensing capabilities are also available in a standalone device, Logitech Spot. * Certification details here ** Graphite: 41%, Off-white: 27% About LogitechLogitech designs software-enabled hardware solutions that help businesses thrive and bring people together when working, creating, gaming and streaming. As the point of connection between people and the digital world, our mission is to extend human potential in work and play, in a way that is good for people and the planet. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI). Find Logitech and more of its business products and enterprise solutions at the company blog, Logitech Business or @LogitechBiz. ### Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company's website at LOGIIR View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Logitech
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China, South Korea and Japan looking into Asean's clean energy market amid US scale-back
The Asean power grid allows countries in South-east Asia to trade electricity freely to meet rising demand. PHOTO: ST FILE China, South Korea and Japan looking into Asean's clean energy market amid US scale-back SINGAPORE – South-east Asia is a developing region with a huge appetite for energy, and investors in China, South Korea and Japan are now finding promise in investing in renewable energy projects in Asean. A new report released on May 20 found that the number of international investment projects for renewable energy in Asean has increased by an average of about 15 per cent per year since 2020, with investments reaching US$43 billion (S$55.8 billion) in 2022. This growth rate is higher than the global average of 11 per cent , according to the report by climate and energy research group Zero Carbon Analytics. In terms of public financing, China was the largest investor in Asean clean energy with over US$2.7 billion between 2013 and 2023, followed by Japan with US$2.45 billion. Meanwhile, South Korea invested US$583 million and Australia put in US$51 million. The four countries are some of Asean's largest clean energy investors, according to the report, adding that they are the major external powers shaping South-east Asia's energy transition. The five Asean recipient countries in the report are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Asean's electricity demand is expected to grow 41 per cent by the end of the decade , and renewable energy capacity is expected to increase by 300 to 500 per cent by 2035 , said the report. However, the developing region – which is still heavily reliant on coal for its energy needs – needs foreign investment for the energy transition, with major financing gaps in renewables and grid development. The report comes amid the scale-back in climate initiatives and spending by the US, such as laying out plans to phase out clean energy tax credits and slash spending on electric vehicles and renewable energy . The US – one of the world's largest emitters – also said in January that it would pull out of the Paris Agreement, a pact signed by nearly 200 countries in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Ms Sharon Seah, coordinator at the Asean Studies Centre and Climate Change in South-east Asia Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and one of the experts speaking at a webinar for the report on May 20, said that the global climate vacuum is 'very concerning'. 'There's been a lack of leadership... and the concern within the region really is about the normative effect that this can have on the other countries,' she said. But the report showed that some economies in Asia seem to be rising to the occasion. For example, China leads in the investments for wind and hydropower among the four countries, and provided US$1.83 billion for clean energy financing in South-east Asia in 2024 under its Belt and Road Initiative. It also led in clean energy trade with the five South-east Asian countries, driven by strong exports of EV batteries, solar modules and wind components. Meanwhile, Japan is the region's bigger investor in geothermal and solar energy, with investments of US$1.3 billion and US$142 million respectively. South Korea was the largest exporter of battery components to Indonesia and Malaysia between 2017 and 2024. It also has a hand in financing mechanisms to support climate projects in Asean, albeit on a smaller scale. The report also found that intentional and transparent policy by Asean countries can increase investor confidence in the energy transition. The Asean power grid, for instance, finally made headway after Singapore said in 2021 that it plans to import around 30 per cent of its electricity from low-carbon sources, such as renewable energy plants, by 2035. Power grid integration was first mooted in 1997 to enhance cross-border electricity trade in South-east Asia to ensure energy security. However, it was the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore (LTMS) electricity import pilot launched in 2022 that finally saw the region's first multilateral electricity trade take place. That same year, Singapore started importing up to 100MW of hydropower from Laos via existing interconnectors – cross-border electricity transmission lines – between the four countries. An Asean grid will allow the Republic, which lacks access to most renewable energy options other than solar, to tap sources such as wind energy and hydropower in other countries. The Asean power grid also allows countries in South-east Asia, where renewable resources are unevenly distributed, to trade electricity freely to meet rising demand. Such a grid would hedge against the intermittencies of renewables by distributing energy more efficiently. Eighteen key interconnection projects have been identified under the Asean power grid, of which half have been completed. Ms Seah noted: 'What (other) countries are interested in right now is to just explore what opportunities there are in the Asean power grid ... and assess whether (Asean) countries are serious about completing those other nine interconnections.' On the heels of the L T MS project, t he Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines (BIMP) power integration project was announced in August 2023 . It aims to create multiple interconnections across the grids of the four countries, drawing on key lessons from the LTMS. Feasibility studies on the interconnections must be done before financing support can be sought for the subsea cables, said Ms Seah, who added that she expects to see more progress on the project this year with Malaysia chairing Asean. Ms Dinita Setyawati, a senior energy analyst at energy think-tank Ember who also spoke on the webinar, said that while the Asean power grid has attracted 'a lot of interest' from development partners who are interested in selling their technologies, the project has to first materialise before investors crowd in. She added that energy transition is not only about replacing fossil fuels with renewables or financing renewable energy projects, but also about looking into investment in infrastructure like power grids and upskilling of workers in the industry. The Asean power grid would have many benefits for countries in the region other than providing green electricity, including the creation of new jobs, reduced air pollution, and significant investments generated for the energy sector. According to the first phase of the US-Singapore feasibility study on regional energy connectivity, the regional grid can generate US$2 billion annually in research and development, and create as many as 9,000 jobs a year. Ms Seah said: 'It's a good thing that the region has actually decided that physical interconnectivity will be a manifestation of what they really want to do, which is to integrate economically.' 'But the Asean power grid has been discussed for the last three decades, so it really needs a few countries to be a champion of the Asean power grid and to bring it to fruition,' she added. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
