Jun 14, 2025

Recently, I came across a podcast featuring an ex-Australian ambassador discussing Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia, focusing on topics such as the Quad, China, the US alliance, and Australia’s current strategy. The ambassador emphasized the importance of deeper involvement in the region, particularly in areas like investment and economic ties. He highlighted the need for broader stakeholder involvement beyond just political realms, including business, civil society, and academic institutions.

In another news, Vietnam aims to train 50,000 software engineers by the end of the decade and establish a competitive semiconductor industry. Prime Minister Chinh identified infrastructure, technology, and education as key hurdles to achieving high-income status. While infrastructure development and technology growth are underway, the biggest challenge lies in training skilled individuals, requiring a strong focus on quality education and collaboration between universities, industry, and government.

Shifting to regional engagement, Australia places Southeast Asia as a priority region in its national defense strategy. Balancing bilateral relationships, ASEAN partnerships, and minilateral institutions like AUKUS and the Quad poses challenges for Australia in terms of messaging, prioritization, and resource allocation. Effective calibration of partnerships is crucial for enhancing regional stability and cooperation.

In the realm of global geopolitics, the recent clash between Israel and Iran has caused market volatility, emphasizing the impact of geopolitical events on asset prices. While markets tend to quickly price in geopolitical fear, stock market returns usually turn positive after major global geopolitical risks within a month according to the IMF’s report. The reaction to geopolitical events varies across sectors and countries, with factors like supply chain disruptions influencing market reactions.

Lastly, in the financial news, there have been significant developments including successful IPOs by Blue Acquisition and GemLife, as well as planned IPOs by Jefferson Capital and other major liquidity events and mergers and acquisitions. Oil prices have spiked following Israel’s attack on Iran, raising concerns about potential disruptions to regional oil production and transport. This event is expected to have implications on global markets and geopolitics in the future.

Stay Well!