This week, we take a look at three cities: Hong Kong, Gwadar and Jakarta (as well as Jakarta's forthcoming replacement, Nusantara), cities that were once the focus of big dreams, but are now facing major disappointments. They are cases of governments investing enormous sums of political and financial capital, without the intended benefits. Cases of when top-down planning and governance fall short.
In this episode, we begin with an analysis of Hong Kong's fall from grace with Monica Hunter-Hart (02:35). Then Uzair Younus of the Atlantic Council joins us for a discussion of what's going wrong with the development in Gwadar (06:06). Then our correspondent in Jakarta, Erwida Maulia, comes in with a report about Indonesia's forthcoming new capital (18:32). We end with a quick update on the 1MDB trial in New York City from Jack Stone Truitt (27:53).
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Asia Stream is hosted by Wajahat S. Khan, our digital editor and executive producer, and produced by Monica Hunter-Hart and Jack Stone Truitt.
Related to this episode:
Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, sparks controversy, by Erwida Maulia
So long, Hong Kong: Asia's business hub loses its luster, by Pak Yiu
Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse, by Betsy Joles
