In an Asia Media Centre series, we asked Alex Tan to reflect on developments in 2019 and look ahead to 2020.
What developments, events or trends in Asia have interested you the most in 2019? And why?
The Hong Kong protest is very important event as it changes the dynamics of the region and China's future role in it.
The US-China trade war is another significant event as it affects the fate of the global economy going forward and can set the dynamics of superpower competition in decades to come
How does this impact New Zealand?
New Zealand's economy is already feeling the effects of the trade war between US and China. Politically, it is putting NZ in a difficult spot as major powers tries to pull NZ one way or the other.
The Hong Kong event puts New Zealand in a tight spot with regards to values and principles.
What will you be watching out for in 2020?
The same events will still be around next year and how they play out will be interesting considering US is going into presidential election mode as well.
Any books/movies/podcasts/etc on Asia that you would recommend to others?
A book by Parag Khanna titled "The Future is Asian".
