The resistance to Artificial Intelligence will come from the social disruption it will bring – and data centres will be where that backlash lands first. Investors in AI must ensure that its benefits are shared across society, harm is reduced, and value created local Artificial intelligence (AI) fuels one of Asia’s fastest infrastructure expansions in decades – data centres, which are essential to achieve the promise of AI, such as advances in education, health care, longevity

Renee Good’s death could be a rallying point against President Donald Trump or a turning point towards a more authoritarian government, says US politics expert Steven Okun. SINGAPORE: The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis last week has become tragedy and political flashpoint. Her death exposed just how badly the US has fractured. For one side, the killing of the unarmed 37-year-old mother of

Domestic resistance grows as US president's foreign-policy latitude expands Steven R Okun and Thurgood Marshall Jr Steven R Okun and Thurgood Marshall Jr served in the Clinton administration as deputy general counsel at the Department of Transportation and White House Cabinet Secretary, respectively. Okun serves as CEO of APAC Advisors in Singapore. Marshall practices law in Washington. Even with his Houdini-like ability to escape consequences for actions once thought impossi

Commerce Secretary Lutnick said the US expects a large investment pledge in excess of $300 billion from Taiwan in trade talks. Lutnick also said they would help train US workers for advanced semiconductor production. Taiwan maintains such training is not part of bilateral tariff negotiations. Just another example of America First where US treats its partners more as vassal states. Given Japan pledged to invest $550 billion and South Korea $350 billion, Taiwan got off light.

The backlash to Dr Anjani Sinha’s remarks after beginning his tenure in Singapore shows just how difficult his mission will be, says political observer Steven R Okun. SINGAPORE: “Increase our economic and commercial ties,” was what President Donald Trump instructed Dr Anjani Sinha before he assumed the post, according to the newly arrived US Ambassador to Singapore . Yet the backlash to Dr Sinha’s recent remarks shows just how difficult that mission will be under Mr Trump’s A

At a moment when business, politics, and global risk are converging,  Steven Okun  joined  The Quinntessential Questions Podcast with Paul Quinn  to explore what it really takes to lead in Asia. Steven reflects on how a journey that began on Bill Clinton’s campaign took him from Washington to Singapore - from opening China for UPS to helping shape the early foundations of ESG in Asia long before it became mainstream. The episode explores the biggest aviation case in U.S. hist

Investors who fail to assess and mitigate the potential harms of adopting Artificial Intelligence cannot credibly call themselves “responsible”. By Steven Okun, Megan Willis, Noemie Viterale Nov. 12, 2025 A hyperscaler data centre. For investors in AI, the test will be how to ensure adoption of AI while mitigating the harm from job losses, the increase in income inequality, and the damage to the environment. Image: Tommy Young/Flickr Artificial Intelligence (AI) did not exis

The “S” in ESG has never been more complex, or more important. On November 17th in Hong Kong, APAC Advisors CEO  Steven Okun  moderated a panel at the  Mergermarket   Asian Venture Capital Journal (AVCJ)  Private Equity Forum - unpacking how the AI trilemma, rising enforcement risk, and shifting global trade norms are redefining what responsible investment actually looks like in practice. From the job-loss and inequality impacts of AI to the intensifying scrutiny on supply ch

Steven Okun moderated Trump 2.0: The Great Disruption Year at The Nanson - featuring Deborah Elms, Taimur Baig and Ethan Wu, From “T.O.T.U.S" (Trade Outside the U.S.) to what one speaker called “a great moment of incoherence,” the conversation dove straight into how Trump 2.0 has turned global trade into something deeply personal. The U.S. isn’t running on policy so much as personality - decisions made on instinct, not institutions. China, meanwhile, is rewriting its own rule

Trump 2.0 Beyond Borders – What It Means for Fiji and the Region AmCham Fiji hosted a hybrid event with former U.S. government official and geopolitical analyst  Steven Okun  of  APAC Advisors (Singapore)  and Head of External Affairs for the  American Association of the Indo-Pacific . He joined us for an engaging in-person briefing in Nadi. The session, “Trump 2.0 Beyond Borders: Geopolitical Risks and Opportunities for Businesses and Investors,” explored how shifting U.S.–C

The Unchecked Leader: Why Great Decisions Demand Checks, Balances, and Empathy — with Steve Okun When the stakes are high, one mind isn’t enough.In this episode of Decisions That Count , neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson  and biotech CMO Michelle O’Brien  sit down with Steven “Steve” Okun —ranked #2 on LinkedIn for Geopolitics & International Relations  in Singapore (Favikon, July 2025)—to explore why the best leaders design decision systems : collaboration, diverse perspectiv

Geopolitics isn’t a backdrop anymore—it’s the arena. I talked with  Steven Okun , CEO of APAC Advisors, to unpack the collision of business and government across Asia: America-first trade policy, the shift from multilateral to bilateral deals, tighter forced-labor enforcement, and why due diligence now requires “Sherlock-level” scrutiny. What you’ll learn: how policy shocks ripple through supply chains and capital flows, what investors and operators must do to stay compliant

At the  Moores Rowland  APAC and  International Practice Group ’s 2025 Conference, APAC Advisors CEO  Steven Okun  spoke about how geopolitics is no longer a backdrop to business, it’s the main event. Every trade deal today is a test of leverage. The U.S. is negotiating one-on-one, not through alliances - and every country is learning how to play in a world where market access depends on power, not predictability. Across the region, investors are spreading their bets.  Pan-As

Will ASEAN come together or fracture in dealing with America First? Can the US-China trade war stabalize? How will Chinese transshipments be addressed in a US-Malaysia agreement? Is there a coalition led by the US that can be developed to counter China's dominance of Rare Earth  The only thing we know for sure: Malaysia, South Korea and Japan will each engage in "flattery diplomacy" given that's the playbook all governments use when it comes to Trump. Breaking down what to wa

Concern is increasing throughout Southeast Asia as U.S. officials, intent on slowing China, have yet to say how they will define the origin country of imports. Trump administration officials have been vocal about setting one rule-of-origin target for the region. They have focused on 30 percent: Any product containing more than that level of foreign parts or content sent to the United States would face the special transshipment tariff. While discussions are fluid, one thing is

The U.S. announced agreements on Sunday with Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, securing support for its efforts to pressure China on trade and critical minerals. While the statements did not mention China, to varying degrees they signaled each country’s support for Mr. Trump’s aim to reduce China’s stranglehold on some of the most important materials that go into a wide array of products, such as batteries, smartphones and magnets for fighter jets. In addition, the statements

Steven Okun, CEO of public affairs consultancy APAC Advisors, said when interviewed that though Trump is not expected to make significant policy statements at the ASEAN Summit, his attendance itself sends an important signal that “Southeast Asia is key to the US from an economic perspective, a geopolitical perspective and a defence perspective.” “Just by taking off the fentanyl tariffs, that would put China at almost the same tariff rate as most Southeast Asian countries. And

Steven joined Leila de Lima, Adrian Ang and Nicole Curato on a panel about political comebacks at the Asian Conference for Political Communication 2025 (#ACPC 25), organised by Konrad‑Adenauer‑Stiftung’s Media Programme Asia. He discussed how Donald Trump, drawing from Richard Nixon’s model of fear-driven politics, has fuelled his comeback and consolidated power. His engine isn’t ideas - it’s fear: first over his party, then the media, business and education sectors. The real

Oct 22nd-23rd: Steven Okun chaired the Responsible Investment Forum: Asia for a second consecutive year. In doing so, he helped steer the forum’s agenda, bringing together institutional investors and private-markets senior decision-makers around themes such as value creation through sustainability and regulatory evolution in Asia.