Lisa Bongiovanni

Bombings continue in Myanmar’s western state, long at the heart of tensions with the Muslim minority. The Arakan Army now administers much of the region, but the Rohingya issue remains unresolved. The community is still in the crosshairs of the three armed groups vying for territorial control. Bangladesh, in seeking China's support, proposed the creation of an independent state, but the initiative has made no progress.

In the era of tariffs, stimulating domestic demand is vital for Beijing. But consumption is growing slowly—and it is no longer the megacities driving it, but smaller cities, where wages and confidence in the economy are rising. These shifts may also bring about broader social changes.

The ILO reports a 10 per cent drop in informal work in Vietnam, but many complain that workers in large, export-oriented companies still suffer from job insecurity and lower wages. Manufacturing employs some 17 million people. Set to come into force on 1 July 2025, Vietnam’s new trade union law remains controversial.

Between 2000 and 2020, the region recorded an urban population growth rate of around 2.3% per year - one of the highest globally. By 2050, more than half of the Pacific's population will live in urban areas.

The ESCAP summit on sustainable development is currently underway in Bangkok, focusing on those urban peripheries so dear to Pope Francis. The complaint: the Asia-Pacific region has the largest housing deficit in the world, and the development and enrichment of urban centres is not solving the problem. Meanwhile, climate change risks worsening the situation.