Programs & Projects

The Southeast Asia Program

The Southeast Asia Program

The Southeast Asia Program aims to explain the latest developments in this vital region, inform and influence policymakers, and help build connections across countries and sectors. At a time of intensifying great-power competition in the region, it is more important than ever to understand the diverse nations of Southeast Asia in their own right and how they interact with each other and outside states. We organise regular events, roundtables and online engagements with leading policymakers and experts focusing on Southeast Asia. We also contribute to the Lowy Institute’s core research publications.

Experts
Latest publications
News and media
Director, Southeast Asia Program
Director of Research
Lowy Institute Lead Economist; Director, Indo-Pacific Development Centre
Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program
Research Fellow, Southeast Asia Program
Nonresident Fellow
Quad summit shows strengths and limits of Biden’s foreign policy
Commentary
Quad summit shows strengths and limits of Biden’s foreign policy
Originally posted in The Straits Times
Partnership of convenience: Ream Naval Base and the Cambodia–China convergence
Analyses
Partnership of convenience: Ream Naval Base and the Cambodia–China convergence
While China is pouring resources into Ream Naval Base, the West must continue to engage Phnom Penh to counter Beijing's influence in the kingdom.
Power in Asia: Pivots, paper tigers and regional poles
Power in Asia: Pivots, paper tigers and regional poles
As great power competition intensifies in the Indo-Pacific, so too has contestation over power-transition narratives. On the one hand, there are those that see US power in steep…
North Korea and its middle power friends
North Korea and its middle power friends
While the West tends to dismiss North Korea as a rogue state or hermit kingdom, the reality is that North Korea is a nuclear power. That automatically boosts its position on the…
2024 Asia Power Index Key Findings Report
Reports
2024 Asia Power Index Key Findings Report
In-depth analysis and insight into the changing power distribution in Asia and its geopolitical consequences.
Power in Asia: Outliers and curiosities
Power in Asia: Outliers and curiosities
Each year, the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index ranks the relative power of states in Asia across eight metrics. The key findings for 2024 are available on the Asia Power Index…
Our new quiet security embrace as Jakarta hedges bets
Commentary
Our new quiet security embrace as Jakarta hedges bets
Originally published in the Australian Financial Review
No, Malaysia is not moving away from the West
Commentary
No, Malaysia is not moving away from the West
Originally published in The Strategist
The Australian Financial Review
26 August 2024
The Australian Financial Review
20 August 2024
Pearls and Irritations
19 August 2024
ABC PM
16 August 2024