Capital is tilting East: Inside Asia’s AI gold rush

The Asia-Pacific region serves as a primary engine for global growth, maintaining a 4.5% GDP expansion driven by a manufacturing renaissance and surging demand for AI infrastructure. While the global economic order faces fragmentation and rising costs of capital, Southeast Asian markets benefit from supply chain reconfigurations and the "China plus one" strategy. AI-related capital expenditure remains a critical driver, though infrastructure bottlenecks and energy constraints persist, particularly for hyperscalers. Semiconductor leadership in Korea and Taiwan remains central to this cycle, even as investors adopt a more selective, risk-aware approach. Meanwhile, China’s export-led growth creates competitive friction with European manufacturing, necessitating careful navigation of trade barriers. Beyond macroeconomic shifts, the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks demand a heightened focus on crisis preparedness and systemic resilience across global financial networks.