Donald Trump is set to disrupt trade across Asia in a repeat of his previous administration, but things are different this time around. He’s expanding his focus beyond China, targeting countries he says pose national security threats or have large trade deficits with the US. Many countries across Asia that benefited from the last trade war may find themselves in the crosshairs. In other words, it's set to be a lot more complicated this time.

Sonal Varma, chief economist Asia ex-Japan at Nomura Singapore, joins Katia Dmitrieva and John Lee to unpack what the next four years may look like for Asia.

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Financial markets have been captivated by AI's opportunities since the launch of ChatGPT two years ago. Huge investments have flowed into established chip companies and the hyperscalers that make the infrastructure supporting AI – from Nvidia and TSMC to Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon. But what about the frontier companies that could flourish as AI enters a new era? And why is Asia an ideal petri dish for this activity?

Esther Wong, founder of 3C AGI Partners, one of Asia's first AI-focused venture capital funds, and formerly a managing director at SenseTime, discusses the next phase of this technology and shares her outlook on the industry – data centers in space may not be as far-fetched as you think. She joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva on the Asia Centric podcast.

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South Korea's short-lived martial law and impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol has shocked the world and crushed confidence in Asia's fourth-largest economy. Even before these events, the country was suffering from sluggish economic growth combined with the worst-performing stock market and currency in the region throughout 2024. What's next for South Korea's political process and what will it take to revive its financial markets?

Hyosung Kwon, an economist at Bloomberg Economics in Seoul, joins John Lee and Katia Dmitrieva to discuss the political and economic risks that lie ahead for South Korea.

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