Via Emerging Markets Insights, a monthly review of Asia’s economic outlook for the month:

Regulatory changes in several countries are impacting the investment environment. In China, new policies may give foreign companies greater access to a US$1 trillion market. In Indonesia and Malaysia, regulatory changes will improve the business environment across several sectors. In Thailand, the government is pursuing policies that may unleash consumer spending along with inflation

• Bangladesh: Multinationals should monitor Bangladesh’s budgetary spending as it will impact the country’s ability to support industrial development
• Cambodia: Shortages of skilled workers may create a drag on Cambodia’s rapid growth in the coming years
• China: Recent changes to Beijing’s “indigenous innovation” rules may allow greater access to China’s enormous government procurement market
• India: New Delhi is poised to give multinationals greater access to an untapped portion of India’s massive retail market
• Indonesia: A new “tax holiday” policy will stimulate investment in several industries and lower the cost of expanding into Indonesia’s rural areas
• Japan: Power shortages currently plaguing Japan will become more severe in the coming months as the country continues to shut down reactors
• Malaysia: A new initiative to remove foreign equity restrictions in certain sectors has the potential to dramatically improve Malaysia’s business environment
• Pakistan: Efforts to boost economic development in Pakistan will be marred by worsening relations with the US
• Philippines: Manila’s new export development plan may create investment opportunities for companies in the IT, electronics, and agribusiness industries
• South Korea: High levels of household debt and rising interest rates will undermine South Korea’s consumer demand growth for the next 12-18 months
• Taiwan: Taiwan will face increasing competition in Europe, its fourth largest export market, as a result of a new FTA between the EU and South Korea
• Thailand: Companies should monitor government announcements about a variety of new policies that will impact Thailand’s investment environment
• Vietnam: If Hanoi continues to dither on raising interest rates, inflation may exceed the government’s new target, setting the stage for lower growth