Marcos vs. Duterte, supply chains: Top stories on Southeast Asia of 2024

TOKYO — The growing rift between the Philippines’ most powerful political families, the Marcoses and Dutertes, emerged as one of the hottest topics in Southeast Asia this year, with an explainer on the latest spats between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte becoming this year’s most read story on the region.

New leaders also took center stage in Southeast Asia’s political scene, including Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who became the city-state’s first new leader in 20 years, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who took the post after her predecessor was dismissed, Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took over from Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in October. The stories covering these leadership transitions had many page views.

In the business sector, Southeast Asia further raised its presence as a manufacturing base for multinationals as they diversify supply chains. Many companies opened new factories or announced new initiatives, giving momentum to the tech investment boom in countries like Malaysia and creating a new hot spot in Vietnam.

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Meanwhile, stories about China continued to draw readers’ attention as Asia’s largest economy, which has strong economic ties with Southeast Asian nations, reeled from a slump. Among the popular stories was a report from Cambodia’s Sihanoukville, where hundreds of buildings were left unfinished after Chinese real estate companies departed.

A list of our most read stories from Southeast Asia in 2024:

1. Malaysia revives ‘ambitious’ high-speed rail plan amid hurdles
2. Chinese exodus leaves Cambodia boomtown with 500 ‘ghost buildings’
3. Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s next PM, seeks growth in ‘troubled world’
4. Vietnam’s tourism hot spot becomes foreign investment hub
5. Vietnam veers into unknown as career cop makes Communist Party power play
6. ‘Ban Korea’ movement drives Thai tourists to China, Japan
7. Infineon opens largest power semiconductor plant in Malaysia
8. Thai Constitutional Court removes PM Srettha Thavisin from office
9. Indonesia’s tale of ‘two suns’: Jokowi and Prabowo lock grip on politics
10. Singapore’s lure for rich Chinese breeds family office tensions
11. Philippines’ Marcos-Duterte conflict worsens: 5 things to know
12. Malaysia’s Mahathir, 99, says Asia can lead in ‘superaging’ world

Take a look back with our most read stories of the year here.