Southeast Asia
Why is Myanmar’s new deep-sea port such hot property?
In Myanmar’s westernmost state of Rakhine, the small fishing village of Kyaukphyu has become the focus of a US$7.3 billion deep-water port development by Chinese state-owned…
Australian development cooperation: Urgent and important, but “not a priority”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is not one for hyperbole, so when she states that the “coming decade will be decisive for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”, in her…
Commentary
Managing power conflict spillover in Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Originally published in The Jakarta Post, 6 November 2023.
Not only the dragon: Understanding Southeast Asia’s complex security landscape
It is a cliché to identify China as Southeast Asia’s primary security concern. But it is understandable given the media’s focus on the overlapping maritime claims and tensions in…
Owning the Indo-Pacific term: Time for a new ASEAN strategic narrative
Over just a few years, the term “Indo-Pacific” has evolved from a mere geographical descriptor into a geopolitical rallying point. Coined by Japan and championed by the United…
Online scams in Southeast Asia create double victims: those targeted and those forced to carry them out
The job ads always sound too good to be true. Open and well-paid positions at a popular casino. Lodgings, benefits and other perks provided.
But it all ends up quite the…
Great expectations: Australia’s elusive Southeast Asia vision
Nicholas Moore’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy, a new government-commissioned report on Australia’s economic prospects in the region, is a detailed and comprehensive compendium…
Commentary
AUKUS brings more than nuclear submarines to Southeast Asia
Originally published in East Asia Forum. The AUKUS agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia significantly shifts Australia’s defence strategy and…
ASEAN, China and the trust deficit
Trust (or the lack of it) seems to be the central theme in describing relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China. Several ASEAN leaders emphasised this…
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…