Asean
In Australia’s big play in Southeast Asia, mobilising the private sector is critical
There is an unmistakable disconnect between Australia’s trade and investment flows and the geo-economic importance of Southeast Asia.
The combined economies of the Association…
Weeks of living dangerously in Jakarta, all over again
The 1978 novel by Australian author Christopher Koch, titled The Year of Living Dangerously, set primarily in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, describes events leading up to…
Pipe dreams: Turning an interconnected ASEAN gas market into a reality
The development began in the 1960s when the Southeast Asian natural gas sector grew significantly after discoveries in Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia. In the decades that followed…
Acting East on the seas: India’s naval cooperation with ASEAN
In recent years, New Delhi has increasingly focused on expanding its strategic footprint in Southeast Asia. While key states have expressed impatience with India’s slow steps…
Indonesia’s dilemma as China pushes a “Global Security Initiative”
China’s vision for a “Global Security Initiative” was first set out by President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum in April last year. While promising ambitious change, especially for…
Quad should ask ASEAN to a diplomatic dance
In early 1979, fearing the growing security cooperation between Hanoi and Moscow, China invaded Vietnam. A year earlier, the then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping met Singapore’s…
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…