Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

China and Japan’s tensions have deepened dramatically, following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. Although Tokyo insists the comment did not reflect a policy shift, Beijing has interpreted it as a fundamental challenge to the political foundations of the bilateral relationship. China’s reaction has moved quickly from diplomatic displeasure to concrete economic signals. Advisories urging Chinese citizens to cancel travel to Japan, halts on seafood imports, and warnings of broader trade restrictions have reminded Tokyo of Beijing’s proven willingness to deploy economic coercion. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Denny Roy, Senior Fellow at the East-West Center, to examine how China-Japan tensions have escalated and what this means for regional stability.

As we step into a new year, everyone’s asking: How much should I save? Where should I invest? And most importantly, what returns can I actually expect? The answer isn’t simple. Stocks, bonds, gold, private assets, they all move to their own beat, influenced by market swings, inflation, and global trends. So, how do you make your wealth work smarter and not harder for you? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Steve Brice, Global CIO, Standard Chartered, to find out more.

When Cookie, a 14-year-old Shih Tzu, passed away at 2.10am, his family panicked. The vet was closed, there was no clear hotline to call, and they refused to treat a beloved family member like an object to be discarded. That moment of helplessness revealed a hidden gap in Singapore’s booming pet-loving culture: what actually happens after a pet dies? On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Rachael Tay, co-founder, Everpet who set out to transform one of the most overlooked services in Singapore: pet aftercare.

Singapore stocks fell today, triggered by declining expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut. This follows a wider regional rout after markets tumbled earlier this week on fears of an artificial intelligence bubble. In terms of counters to watch, we have ComfortDelGro, after the transport operator yesterday announced senior leadership changes, which included the creation of a new “point-to-point mobility officer” role. Elsewhere, from what the latest US labour market data mean for the Federal Reserve, to how Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet approved the largest round of extra spending since the pandemic, more international headlines remained in focus. Also on deck – comments by Foxconn chairman Liu Young that the company now had the capability to manufacture 1,000 artificial intelligence racks per week. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced that Singapore’s MRT network will see more planned closures in the coming years as major upgrades and critical maintenance works are carried out. With the current nightly maintenance window no longer sufficient, authorities say longer shutdowns are necessary to ensure the rail system remains safe, reliable, and future-ready. But what will these planned closures mean for commuters, businesses, and the wider economy? And how will Singapore balance immediate inconvenience with long-term rail improvements? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Timothy Wong, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, NUS, to find out more.

The tide is turning for private equity in Southeast Asia. After months of muted activity, dealmaking is roaring back, powered by billion-dollar bets in tech and infrastructure, and a surge of investor confidence. But as liquidity tightens and exit routes remain elusive, the real question is: is this a true revival, or just a rebound on borrowed time? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Luke Pais, EY-Parthenon Asean Private Equity Leader, to find out more. 

Reforged Labs is a gaming-focused AI company that helps mobile game studios understand and improve their advertising performance. After evolving from in-game content generation to video ad creation, the company now builds creative intelligence tools that analyze gaming ads across networks, identify emerging trends, and produce data-driven creative briefs. With Boa, their AI research tool powered by proprietary datasets and multiple state-of-the-art language models, Reforged Labs enables marketers to make smarter creative decisions, uncover audience insights, and optimize return on ad spend. On Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Robert Huynh, Co-Founder & CEO, Reforged Labs, to find out more.  

Singapore shares nudged higher today as investors remained laser focused on the outlook of the global AI boom. The Straits Times Index was up 0.25% at 4,516.51 points at 12.04pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$664.71M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have the Singapore Exchange. That’s after the Monetary Authority of Singapore yesterday announced plans to allow companies to list on both SGX and Nasdaq using a single set of listing documents under a new “dual-listing bridge”.  Elsewhere, from blowout earnings from chip powerhouse Nvidia to the outlook for Hong Kong stocks as year-end expirations of share-sale restrictions threaten to spur volatility – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital. 

Today we’re going to welcome you aboard Singapore Airlines as it reaches out to greater skies in a fast changing business environment.  Founded some 50 years ago through the demerger of the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1972, SIA has evolved into one of the most recognised and respected travel brands globally.  The Singapore flag carrier and its low cost subsidiary Scoot now fly to over 120 destinations, and operates the world’s longest non-stop flight –  a 19-hour ride from Singapore to New York City.  SIA has long been presented in business schools as a textbook example of “cost-effective service excellence”, combining premium service with rigorous efficiency to deliver profitability and brand prestige.  But how is this playbook evolving as SIA navigates an intensifying competitive landscape?  For one thing, the ongoing US-China trade war, Middle East tensions and oil price volatility continue to weigh on airlines such as SIA. At the same time, Gulf carriers appear to have grown in prominence on long-haul flows and now capture sizable shares on some key city pairs, given the Middle East’s status as a gateway to Europe.  To stay ahead, SIA appears to be re-engineering parts of its product and network. In 2024, SIA said it will spend S$1.1 billion to retrofit 41 Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range aircraft with newer cabin products.  There were also adjustments to mileage redemption policies in 2025, which prompted conversations among customers and industry watchers. So how does the airline distill the changes into a single, condensed strategy for the future?  Professor Jochen Wirtz, Vice Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Marketing at the National University of Singapore has been studying the firm for over two decades, writing extensively about how the firm manages the tension between achieving product differentiation and cost leadership.  And Lee Lik Hsin, is Chief Commercial Officer at Singapore Airlines.  In this “In the Community” Special episode of Under the Radar, the duo share their thoughts with Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian.

Singapore’s national football team, the Lions, created a moment of national pride as they came from behind to beat Hong Kong 2-1, securing a historic qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. The star of the night, Ilhan Fandi, turned the game around in just four minutes with an assist and a goal during his 28-minute cameo, dedicating the triumph to the nation despite leaving the field with an ankle injury. Interim coach Gavin Lee praised the team’s collective effort, calmness, and resilience, highlighting the pivotal role of senior players and acknowledging the contributions of past coaches who helped shape Singapore football.  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Zia-ul Raushan, Presenter of Sport Minutes, to delve deeper into this historic achievement and what it means for the future of Singapore football.