Gaurav, Stefan and Denise turn their attention back to Asia-Pacific after months dominated by the Middle East conflict. With signs that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is beginning to resume, the team weighs whether the worst is over and the shock to the region's economies may yet prove transitory. They also dig into the K-shaped nature of Asian growth, where the AI boom is delivering blockbuster GDP numbers for tech-heavy economies like Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore, even as consumers struggle with elevated energy and food costs. From China's stubborn reluctance to fire a domestic demand bazooka to the limits of decoupling in a world stitched together by rare earths and supply chains, the team asks whether Asia's growth story is built on strong foundations, or just very good at papering over the cracks.
