As a follow up to the 'COVID-19 and the future of doing business in Asia' which discussed how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in selected East and Southeast Asian countries had to improve their agility, innovation, and resilience in response to the pandemic, the new volume is more in-depth and provides a more thorough discussion on the insights for policies, business strategies, and international relations. The report specifically focuses on SMEs in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines and looks into their corresponding strategic crisis responses as they sought to ensure business continuity while concurrently protecting the welfare of their workers and adhering to the safety protocols imposed by the government.