The New World Order: It's Not a Transition, It's a Rupture

The world's gone completely mental since Andy Staples left The Economist and launched GeoPol Asia. Turns out his timing was perfect - just in time for Trump's tariff chaos, military interventions, and the complete breakdown of the "rules-based order" everyone keeps banging on about.

The old playbook is dead. This isn't your typical trade spat or diplomatic tiff. As Mark Carney put it at Davos: we're witnessing a rupture, not a transition. And from Singapore's "grave concern" over Venezuela to Japan's new PM calling China's bluff, everyone's scrambling to figure out what the hell comes next.

Andy breaks down why Singapore's politicians are probably doing constant eye-rolls dealing with Trump's "favours from friends" tariff nonsense, why Malaysia's quietly winning at this geopolitical game, and whether we're all heading to the pub because the world's ending (spoiler: we're definitely putting our coats on).

If you're trying to run a business in this chaos or just want to understand why everything feels completely unhinged, this is your reality check.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Back, Andy Staples!

00:26 Reflecting on a Year of Chaos

02:00 Predictions and Realities

04:45 Hard Power and Global Dynamics

05:28 Trump's Davos Speech

08:27 Middle Powers and Global Order

11:47 Asian Geopolitical Landscape

14:36 Japan's New PM and China Relations

17:49 Elections and Political Shifts in Asia

20:25 Singapore's Resilience

21:56 Johor's Investment Boom

23:12 Vietnam's Economic Resilience

24:13 US-Singapore Relations

26:44 Business Sentiment in Asia

30:27 Geopolitical Risks and Predictions

34:08 Rapid-Fire Questions

40:06 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

Key Takeaways:

• The US has shifted to unilateral military action as policy tool

• "Middle powers" like Canada, Singapore, and the EU are exploring Plan B

• Asia's playing the ultimate balancing act between US security and Chinese economics

• Business leaders need to build "geopolitical muscle" or get left behind

• We're all walking towards the pub, but hopefully it stays open

About Andy Staples:

Andy is the founder of GeoPol Asia, offering geopolitical advisory services to businesses navigating Asia's complex political landscape. Previously at The Economist, he specialises in helping Western MNCs understand the shifting power dynamics and build their "geopolitical muscle" for this new era.

Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystaples/

Learn more about GeoPol Asia: https://geopolasia.com/