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Tan Kong Yam

Tan Kong Yam

Professor, Nanyang Technological University
Professor Tan Kong Yam is presently a professor of economics at the Nanyang Technological University. He is a board member of Changi Airport Group. From 1985-88, he was an assistant director in the Monetary Authority of Singapore in charge of exchange rate policy. He was the chief assistant to Dr Goh Keng Swee, the former deputy prime minister of Singapore invited by Mr Deng Xiaoping to advise China on economic development strategy (1985-95). From June 2002 to June 2005, he was a senior economist at the World Bank office in Beijing where he worked on the 11th Five Year Plan with the State Council. Prior to that, he was the chief economist of the Singapore government (1999-2002) and head of department of strategy and policy at the National University of Singapore business school. He was also the director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2010-2020) He is a graduate of Princeton (1975-79, class of 1931 scholar, Paul Volcker Thesis prize) and Stanford University (1980-83), where he completed his Masters and PhD in three years. His research interests are in international trade and finance, economic and business trends in the Asia-Pacific region and economic reforms in China. He has published twelve books and numerous articles in major international journals. He has also consulted for many organisations including Temasek, GIC, ExxonMobil, Citigroup, IBM, ATT, BP, ABN-AMRO, and China Construction Bank.

Articles by Tan Kong Yam

Economy

From industrial giant to specialised supplier: The reshaping of Japan

Amid China’s tech rise, a demographic crisis and regional tensions, Japan is being forced to dismantle its post-war economic model and redefine its global role. Academic Tan Kong Yam analyses the challenges and the way forward for Japan.

Tan Kong Yam

03 Jun 2026

Politics

The West’s moment ends, a multi-civilisational world rises

Two centuries of Western dominance are giving way to a world shaped by multiple civilisations. China, India and others assert distinct models, signalling a future of coexistence, negotiation and multipolar competition. Professor Tan Kong Yam assesses the future world order.

Tan Kong Yam

27 Mar 2026

Politics

Will Trump become America’s Deng Xiaoping — or its Gorbachev?

Trump exposes America’s deep political and strategic dysfunction. His disruption could either spur institutional renewal and recalibration — like Deng Xiaoping — or deepen division and decay, like Gorbachev, observes academic Tan Kong Yam.

Tan Kong Yam

13 Feb 2026

Politics

Takaichi is manufacturing a crisis — and rewriting Japan’s security future

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s warnings about a “Taiwan contingency” may reflect not miscalculation but strategy — a calculated use of crisis politics, according to NTU economics professor Tan Kong Yam.

Tan Kong Yam

02 Dec 2025

Economy

Power, patience and pain: The real game behind the US-China tariff war

The US-China trade war tests resilience. Beijing bets its system can withstand economic pain better than the US. Trump’s tariff retreat amid financial market turmoil suggests China may be right. Economics professor Tan Kong Yam gives his take.

Tan Kong Yam

08 May 2025

Politics

Xi Jinping set on realising China dream after 20th Party Congress

Economics professor and keen China watcher Tan Kong Yam analyses the outcomes of the 20th Party Congress, answering key questions on Beijing's attitudes towards national rejuvenation, Taiwan, the private sector, leadership renewal and political stars to watch in Chinese President Xi Jinping's third term.

Tan Kong Yam

21 Dec 2022

Politics

How China might just win the China-US competition of governance systems

Academic Tan Kong Yam says that the ongoing China-US competition is not a tussle between two armies or two political systems, but "a competition between the governance systems of two fast-evolving countries, under the influence of rapidly globalising technologies". In that sense, China's system possesses some great advantages. Even so, it has to bide its time and not get arrogant, if it is to navigate itself through dangerous waters and emerge the winner.

Tan Kong Yam

06 Jul 2021

Economy

ASEAN: The ultimate winner of a China-US rivalry (Part II)

China's dominance on the global stage continues to grow. It could just become another "sun" in a solar system that has revolved around the US in the post-war era. But can two "suns" coexist? And what will happen to the other planets around them? This two-part essay is adapted from Prof Tan Kong Yam's recent speeches in China and the US.

Tan Kong Yam

08 Oct 2019

Economy

ASEAN: The ultimate winner of a China-US rivalry (Part I)

China's dominance on the global stage continues to grow. It could just become another "sun" in a solar system that has revolved around the US in the post-war era. But can two "suns" coexist? And what will happen to the other planets around them? This two-part essay is adapted from Prof Tan Kong Yam's recent speeches in China and the US.

Tan Kong Yam

08 Oct 2019