6 Sep 2022
Debating Southeast Asia’s future
Insights from six of the region’s most interesting economic thinkers show the pathway to collective growth is not clear.
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26 Jul 2022
ASEAN and pandemic recovery: Economy before strategic rivalry
Southeast Asia needs international support to rebuild from Covid. But help should not come with strings attached. -
28 Jun 2022
New directions in Australia-Southeast Asia relations
How the Albanese government could refocus on Southeast Asia in 2022 – and beyond. -
9 Jun 2022
Stemming the tide of piracy in Southeast Asia
The laws set by the United Nations 40 years ago no longer suit the fight against modern-day crime on the high seas. -
11 May 2022
Mapping Southeast Asian development assistance
A new measure of foreign aid impact in countries hit by Covid and infrastructure failure is set to fill the gap. -
25 Apr 2022
Not all maritime disputes are built the same
Resolving some of the South China Sea’s longest running issues needs a policy toolkit that is customised and diverse. -
11 Apr 2022
Thinking outside the box on Southeast Asian maritime security
The pandemic brought about an observable increase in transnational crimes – smuggling, piracy and trafficking. -
4 Apr 2022
Cause and effect: The right security architecture for the Indo-Pacific
Limitations in the established rules and forums have led the region to innovate. -
15 Feb 2022
Asia’s Covid waste dilemma
Southeast Asia is taking the brunt of pandemic-generated waste in a looming environmental headache for the region. -
26 Nov 2021
Trouble on the Mekong
Countries along one of Asia’s longest rivers need to address the effects of climate change and overdevelopment. -
15 Nov 2021
Is Australia relevant?
Neighbours in Southeast Asia may not be “forced to choose” but rather “left behind”. -
5 Nov 2021
Australia’s chance to dream with Southeast Asia
As a United States ally, Canberra can be a bridge between the region and Washington. -
15 Sep 2021
US engagement in Southeast Asia: How much will be enough?
Complaints about America’s attention to the region need to be put in proper context. -
22 Jul 2021
US-China rivalries: What matters for ASEAN
Southeast Asian nations have learned to be wary of big powers offering promises of security in return for loyalty. -
19 Jul 2021
Press freedom more important than ever in the Asia–Pacific
A new database tracks incursions and crackdowns on journalists’ capacity to report. -
4 Jun 2021
Finding a new approach to water security in Southeast Asia
Disaster governance systems can help overcome barriers to securing water across the region. -
31 May 2021
Is Southeast Asia ready for a US-China tech decoupling?
Some regional countries have sought to diversify. But this doesn’t necessarily mean choosing sides. -
26 May 2021
Myanmar is not the next Syria
Comparisons may help draw attention to the crisis, but they ignore essential differences. -
7 May 2021
Post-Covid disaster governance in Southeast Asia
The pandemic revealed a narrow focus on natural hazards, lacking the systems needed for an increasingly complex world. -
26 Apr 2021
Indonesia raises ASEAN’s bar on Myanmar
President Joko Widodo had nothing to gain domestically in calling a special summit. But in not failing, he succeeded. -
16 Mar 2021
The Quad gives a boost to India’s vaccine diplomacy
Countering China’s influence is one thing. But fostering regional cooperation plays to the strengths of the grouping. -
14 Jan 2021
America’s troubles ahead in the Asia-Pacific
A US return to multilateralism can’t reverse a shifting strategic landscape and the fallout of domestic strife. -
13 Jan 2021
Indonesia lags on renewable energy, and pays the price
Global companies are looking for clean energy, but Indonesia is failing to keep up with neighbours in the region. -
20 Oct 2020
Duelling diplomacy over Southeast Asia’s most important river
Despite climate change and the cost hydropower dams, Mekong nations will find it difficult to turn away from China. -
11 Aug 2020
US in Southeast Asia: Democracy is (sort of) out, deterrence is in
It would be a stretch for ASEAN members to march to the beat of Mike Pompeo’s democracy drums in confronting China. -
11 Aug 2020
Chinese dams and the Mekong drought
The environmental impact of China’s dam building upstream is undeniable. The silence from some quarters is surprising. -
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3 Jul 2020
Southeast Asian democracies in declining health amid Covid-19
An illiberal turn across the region has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Australia should take note. -
18 Jun 2020
Will Timor-Leste be the region’s latest press freedom casualty?
An new law under the guise of “dignity” would only diminish democracy and transparency in the country. -
7 Apr 2020
US regional leadership: A shot across the bow
China had already been gaining in Southeast Asia before the pandemic began. Now Beijing is looking to press ahead. -
27 Mar 2020
COVIDcast Episode 4: Crisis looms in Southeast Asia
The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region, and the world. -
21 Jan 2020
The real winners in the trade war might be found in Southeast Asia
The latest figures suggest strife in Hong Kong has also given a boost to the region’s economic fortunes. -
13 Jan 2020
India has left RCEP behind, but not its ambition in Southeast Asia
Withdrawing from a mega-regional trade deal is a setback, but New Delhi has other ways of enhancing regional engagement. -
29 Nov 2019
Time with Trump: Australia and Southeast Asia compared
Although the US president has yet to set foot in Australia, Australian leaders have got Trump’s attention. -
29 Nov 2019
Taiwan embraces Southeast Asian migrant workers, one book at a time
A bookstore in New Taipei aims to bring a little piece of home to new migrants and help locals connect to the region. -
23 Aug 2019
Deep fakes could have real consequences for Southeast Asia
<p>In a fractuous political climate, video manipulation threatens to play havoc with democracy.</p> -
23 Jul 2019
What the rest of Asia thinks about China’s Belt and Road Initiative
<p>A better sense of South-South cooperation helps understand the direction of China’s trillion-dollar flagship.</p> -
18 Jul 2019
After the voting, personality beats policy in Southeast Asia
Malaysia is not the only country consumed by speculation about who takes over from a conspicuous and captivating leader. -
10 Jul 2019
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: status report
Some projects will succeed. Others will fail. And in the end, China will likely find the political gain is quite mixed. -
25 Jun 2019
It’s not just melting glaciers that endanger the Mekong and its region
The wash of sediment downstream is crucial for the health of the river – and with it the economies it spans. -
1 May 2019
A bugle for bigotry: does hate speech in Australia resonate in Asia?
Neighbours might roll their eyes in bemusement, yet worry more about their own regional problems with discrimination. -
29 Mar 2019
ASEAN Regional Forum: less might be more
Often dismissed as a “talk-shop”, the significance of this existing forum in a complex and nervous Asia could grow. -
14 Mar 2019
Economic diplomacy: trade and traps in ASEAN
Ecommerce is booming in Southeast Asia, posing a challenge for Australia where goods trade tends to dominate discussion. -
4 Feb 2019
Will a sugar tax solve Southeast Asia’s growing diabetes problem?
Southeast Asia now has an estimated 96 million people suffering from Type II diabetes, a fifth of all cases worldwide. -
23 Jul 2018
Russia’s disinformation game in Southeast Asia
Russian arms sales get all the attention, but Moscow’s campaign to undermine trust is a real threat in the region. -
5 Jun 2018
China eyes its next prize – the Mekong
After the South China Sea, Beijing’s “salami slicing” strategy is moving along Southeast Asia’s longest river. -
4 Jun 2018
Modi plays by the “rules” at Shangri-La
The Indian Prime Minister intended to reassure, and hinted only obliquely at some of the challenges confronting India and the region. -
2 May 2018
Jolted by protectionist rhetoric, ASEAN focuses on trade
Southeast Asian nations want India to allow quick agreement on a regional trade deal. -
20 Apr 2018
The Rohingya question: determining who to hold to account
Who is responsible for the behaviour of troops in the field? -
9 Apr 2018
Amal Clooney no match for Trump and China in Southeast Asia press clampdown
Authoritarian governments are quick to claim “fake news” in a neighbourhood crackdown on press freedom.