BBC World News tipped for Asian growth

Addressing a private client gathering at The China Club, BBC head of business programmes Peter Eustace mentioned preliminary plans to bring its Asia Business Report online, so that people in Asia can access up-to-the minute business news on the web as well as on-air.

Emphasising the importance of Asia, Eustace said Asia Business Report was the first regional version to be produced, ten years ago, subsequently followed by Business Reports for Africa, Middle East and Russia.

As well as probable online expansion in the region, Eustace said BBC World News plans more programming produced in the region, and a possible ‘landmark season’ with the exact details still to be confirmed.

The special guest at the event was Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean and professor in the practice of public policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, who was interviewed by Asia Business Report presenter Rico Hizon.

Professor Mahbubani said he thought China might overtake the US as the world’s biggest economy sooner than Goldman Sachs’ projection of 2027 because currency fluctuation needed to be taken into account.

He also said that India would overtake Japan, but not China, in the economic pecking order. And within Southeast Asia, apart from Singapore and Indonesia, the Professor said Vietnam was the next major growth market.