Asean
Can ASEAN forge a political solution in Myanmar?
Since the military coup in February 2022, the people of Myanmar have been subjected to unrelenting violence including indiscriminate airstrikes, mass burning of villages,…
Japan seeks an improved climate in relations with ASEAN
Japan has long been among ASEAN’s “most trusted” economic partners. Through tactful engagement, Tokyo helped ensure Southeast Asian states remained in the Trans-Pacific…
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
On 26 February last year, a few days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a statement expressing “concern’’ over the “evolving…
Japan and ASEAN: 50 years of maritime strategy
In a partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that now spans 50 years, Japan has played an important role in addressing the non-traditional maritime security…
Supporting the kind of region we want
When most people think of Siem Reap in Cambodia, they think of the historic temples of Angkor Wat, which sit just outside the city bounds. They don’t think of it as the focal…
Economic diplomacy: Charging up old ties with Jakarta
Mining mates
The lexicon of strained language to accommodate the endlessly complicated relationship between Indonesia and Australia is coalescing around a new phrase for…
Putting food at the heart of China-Indonesia relations
As regional leaders gathered for the ASEAN summit in Cambodia last week, a sideline meeting also took place with China. For all the talk about regional rivalries amid growing…
Countdown to Asia’s summit season
After two years of Covid-19 hiatus, Asia’s “summit season” is back. This year the G20 meeting of top global economies will also be hosted in Asia, as well as the Association of…
Why Indonesia’s engagement with Pacific countries matters
Last week, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi wrapped up a brief official visit to Fiji and Solomon Islands. On her agenda, apart from the usual high-level bilateral…
Has Southeast Asia warmed to AUKUS one year on?
When Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the AUKUS trilateral security cooperation agreement a year ago, it didn’t get a uniformly positive reception in…