Reflections on Asia

I come away from two weeks in Asia with a more upbeat assessment of Asia's economic outlook, but with reinforced concerns about Asia’s geopolitical risk profile.

I’m finishing this note up on a 24 hour flight back from Auckland to Amsterdam after two weeks in Asia, talking to government officials, firms, and investors.  This note contains some reflections on economic and political developments in Asia.

Economic outlook

Previous notes have described the weakening economic outlook across Asia; recent World Bank forecasts for Asian growth were the weakest in 50 years.  However, relative to my home base in Europe, there is a sharp sense of economic dynamism.  Last week’s, IMF forecasts of growth rates across Asia were robust compared to other regions of the world – even if lower than usual.