Our Focus Areas

June 7, 2020

After the COVID-19 Panic: Three Lessons for Business

The panic is past. But the pandemic is still with us. Businesses are preparing for a world in which the Covid-19 virus and other pandemic diseases are a recurring feature. What will this new landscape look like? By Asia Business Council Executive Director Mark Clifford.

April 30, 2020

COVID-19: What can Israel learn from Asia’s 4 ‘tigers’?

South Korea has tested a larger percentage of its citizens for COVID-19 than any nation on Earth. Densely packed Hong Kong, despite its proximity to the rest of China, has seen only four novel coronavirus deaths to date. Singapore, long-known for its focus on cleanliness and its police-state mentality, had been doing an exemplary job

August 21, 2019

Opinion: As Cathay feels the heat of political risk in China, it’s time to remember lessons of the Mao era

Xi Jinping’s approach highlights how politics has always been in command in China. But nationalistic leaders and web users would do well to remember the losses suffered through extreme political correctness in the Mao era. By Executive Director Mark Clifford.

July 17, 2019

The View: Hong Kong as a financial centre could drown if ‘river water’ from China continues to rise

A more mainland-dominated Hong Kong would threaten the city’s robust regulatory regime, high corporate governance standards, and freedom of the press and information, putting its status as Asia’s financial centre at risk. By Executive Director Mark Clifford.

February 20, 2019

The View: Hong Kong is caught between China and the US in their new cold war – but this isn’t the first time

Hong Kong was branded a ‘dying’ city in the darkest days of the Korean war but rose to the occasion. With a new standoff brewing, it must now bolster the institutions that make it unique. By Asia Business Council Executive Director Mark Clifford.

November 23, 2018

Opinion: Hong Kong can retain its special status with the US if it cultivates its differences from mainland China

The trade war and a US report raise questions about how Hong Kong will be treated, it must strengthen its role as a guardian of global norms. By Asia Business Council Program Director Janet Pau.

November 17, 2018

Opinion: The vital importance of keeping the ‘special’ in the Special Administrative Region

Hong Kong needs to cultivate its position as a protected zone between different worlds. Without it, the city is no use to China or the world. By Asia Business Council Executive Director Mark Clifford.

October 13, 2018

Opinion: Curbs on Hong Kong’s freedoms could suck the lifeblood out of the city

The city thrives on a free flow of information and ideas, on discussions and even dissent: without these elements it may not survive as a financial and business center. By Asia Business Council Executive Director Mark Clifford.

September 30, 2018

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2018

Asia’s Chief Executive Perspectives The Asia Business Council annual survey of members was conducted in July 2018 and yielded a response rate of 81%. Collectively, respondents indicated the lowest optimism and highest pessimism in their outlook for the year ahead since 2008. Heightened threats of an escalating U.S.-China trade war is by far the most

September 30, 2017

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2017

Asia’s Chief Executive Perspectives The Asia Business Council’s twelfth annual survey of members was conducted in July 2017. With an overall response rate of 85%, the majority of members (55%) are expecting business conditions to remain about the same in the next 12 months. Additional highlights: Optimism is at its highest level in three years,