2024 promises to be a tumultuous year, not the least because of a host of elections across the region, from presidential contests in Taiwan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the United States, to general elections in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the Solomon Islands, and legislative polls in South Korea. Japan and Singapore could join that list, if their ruling parties decide to roll the dice on snap elections. These votes will serve to recast the political class across Asia, with possibly significant consequences.
Amid the churning in Asia’s political pools, there are worrying economic tides too. China’s economy is in dire need of a boost but foreign companies remain wary of Beijing; meanwhile, Southeast Asia’s “scamdemic” is truly a global problem. Afghanistan remains mired in poverty and hunger as the international community debates how to handle the Taliban regime, and Pakistan’s economy is teetering between recovery and crisis.