Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

From economists anticipating more support measures by the Chinese government to be rolled out in a bid to stimulate home demand and with Chinese New Year just round the corner, the question now is, are consumers willing to spend?  Chen Jiahe, Chief Investment Officer, Novem Arcae Technologies shares his perspective on these headlines and more. 

Payment services group Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) recently launched its first ‘smart’ stored-value Prepaid card that can be used for for retail and transit.   Lawrence Chan, Group CEO, Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) shares more about their target audience and the new card is different from other offerings.

Income recently released a series of integrated campaigns to encourage people to tackle important conversations surrounding their personal and financial wellbeing. As connecting with customers on a personal level becomes increasingly important, Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer, Income shares how it has successfully injected the people-first marketing strategy into the heart of the brand.

Charu Chanana, Market Strategist, Saxo Singapore discusses what surprises we might be able to expect from the Bank of Japan in its rate decision this week, what commodities are making big moves around China's reopening story, as well as a preview of earnings for Netflix and P&G.

In today's Breakfast Brief, we discuss what investors can look out for in the week ahead including a data dump from China, and the official opening of Thailand's Bang Sue Grand Station, Southeast Asia's most modern rail terminus.

From US' latest treaty with Japan and how its set the tone for the G7 summit plus the latest in US-China chip war.  Frank Lavin, Chairman, Export Now. He was also formerly White House Political Director and US Ambassador to Singapore shares his analysis on those headlines and more. 

Chinese New Year’s just around the corner and snaking queues for crispy new notes at our local banks are a common sight at this time of the year. But with greater focus put on the environment now than before, the Monetary Authority of Singapore is encouraging the public to use “Fit-for-Gifting” notes, or fit notes.  Cindy Mok, Assistant Managing Director (Finance, Risk and Currency), Monetary Authority of Singapore shares why new notes are not sustainable in the longer term.

In today's Breakfast Brief, we speak with Lee Kian Soon, CEO, Astral Asset Management about the implications for the Fed’s upcoming interest rates decision and the sectors set to benefit from the China reopening story.

Many foreign businesses are gearing up to resume business travel to China following its reopening, with at least four business missions expected to take place between Singapore and China over the next three months.  Kurt Wee, President, Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) shares his take on business confidence in China, growth opportunities and what start-ups looking to venture into China need to look out for.

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this first episode of 2023, he chats with Serge Besanger, a director of Paris-based Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies, on how the war in Europe is shaping and the potential for it to spread to Asia, thanks to the strategic compact between Russia and China. Besanger, who divides his time between Paris and Singapore, says Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to widen the war and that risks bringing Asia into the conflict.  Highlights (click/tap above): 1:30 How Besanger's organisation sends life-saving blood 'pouches' into Ukraine 8:50 French to supply ‘hot pursuit’ tanks to Ukraine 12:05 Fusing of Asian, European theatres 15:03 Which Asian nations are aiding Russia? 17:25 Europe’s view of China slides; how Russian-Ukraine war could last another three years Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani Edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Fa’izah Sani Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Ravi Velloor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsider