Asean
US-China rivalry in Southeast Asia need not be a zero-sum game
Is Southeast Asia solely an arena of competition in which only either the United States or China can win? Or could it be an arena of cooperation that concurrently benefits all…
Debating Southeast Asia’s future
A new series of essays, commissioned for the Lowy Institute by Roland Rajah and Ben Bland, asks whether Southeast Asia needs a new development model. In different ways, several of…
José Ramos-Horta's Australian visit: a checklist
It’s been hard to miss José Ramos-Horta, the President of Timor-Leste, in the news over the past couple of weeks. He’s been doing the rounds with major media outlets, including…
A new Marcos gets down to business
Sugar coating
As Australia’s former prime minister Scott Morrison has drawn international attention for his efforts to secretly grab power, the region’s newest leader is…
Does ASEAN really need an official “second language”?
The idea of an “official language” for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been a contentious subject over the years. Recently, the issue has resurfaced.
In…
Economic diplomacy: The Pacific beats ASEAN for nervous investors
Sticky money
As the new Labor government oscillates between promoting investment in Southeast Asia to deepen security ties and trying to keep the Pacific family together in the…
ASEAN and pandemic recovery: Economy before strategic rivalry
The sweeping consequences of Covid-19 have carried a devastating cost right across the world, but especially for less-developed countries that began the crisis at a disadvantage…
Log-jam in the Indo-Pacific economic policy space
In a region that has over the years seen the emergence of multiple forums and agreements with an economic dimension – ASEAN, ASEM, APEC, RCEP, TPPA, CPTPP – the Indo-Pacific…
Why Australia shouldn’t put all its eggs in the Quad basket
Since its resurrection in late 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) between Australia, India, Japan and the United States has gradually become a centrepiece of…
Labor should create a “Regional Carbon Bank” for ASEAN and the Pacific
Much of the discussion about climate change policy in Australia has focused on the changes needed by the new Albanese Labor government to align Australia with international goals…