![China, the biggest buyer of Gulf oil, is navigating a challenging situation as tensions simmer between the US and Iran [West Asia News Agency via Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/450e95c69df74c58939a513cfdd2dd39_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Asian nations likely to be affected differently, with economic risks for Beijing and Pyongyang eyeing strategic gains.
![Crop growers such as Shinnou Farms in Malaysia say they need help to invest in cutting edge technologies that will boost their yields and profits [File: Shinnou Farms via Nyshka Chandran/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/7991fa68e57d4c4992bcfaf01436848f_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
A new crop of startups is developing solutions tailored specifically to regional needs.
![Dewakan's banana hearts. The restaurant was named this year among the 50 best in Malaysia, partly as a result of its creativity with indigenous ingredients [Supplied/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/169484ae3bb64397a3639075158ec441_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180)
Contemporary chefs are learning from indigenous people to incorporate wild, domestic produce into their dishes.