Over two years after the coronavirus emerged, countries across Asia are slowly beginning to recover. In Southeast Asia, economic growth is projected to pick up to 5.1% this year, from 3.2% in 2021. With 400 million people, or 59% of the population, fully vaccinated, many economies are well on the way to reopening.
But the spread of the Omicron variant continues to cause widespread illness, albeit mild in most cases, that could reduce growth. In China, major lockdowns could have huge economic consequences for the region if authorities cannot bring new outbreaks under control soon.
Now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the uneven recovery. It comes on top of the economic distress caused by…
