COMMENT: What Japan, Southeast Asia and the US can expect from South Korea’s new president

While he has not shied away from criticising Tokyo, Lee has sensibly signalled a willingness to compartmentalise some issues in order to foster cooperation on trade, technology and regional security.

ASIA BLOG: How US tariffs are driving Asia closer to itself – and China

What’s striking right now is how ASEAN is operating on two levels. Publicly, it champions inclusivity and dialogue. Privately, it’s hedging harder than ever.

COMMENT: Asian unity in a fragmenting world boosted by the RCEP

In the face of renewed US protectionism and the use of tariffs as economic weapons, RCEP offers the Indo-Pacific region something far more strategic: a framework for resilience, integration and independence.

COMMENT: Asia's team lists in the Washington VS Beijing bout

While fewer in number, some Asian nations have displayed clear signs of alignment or strategic proximity to China.

COMMENT: US Defence Secretary Hegseth tells Asian countries war with China “could be imminent”

US Secretary for Defence Pete Hegseth put the cat amongst the pigeons during a speech at the at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, by telling the leading Asian countries they should join with the US and get ready for war with China.

China launches international mediation organisation in Hong Kong

China has launched a new international mediation organisation in Hong Kong on May 30, signed by 31 countries

BERTRAND: ASEAN, GCC countries and China come together, forming the world’s largest economic bloc

China, the countries of South-East Asia (ASEAN) and the Arab states (GCC) just held a summit in Kuala Lumpur to forge what could become the world's largest economic bloc, covering everything from free trade agreements to de-dollarisation.

Combined effort to tackle Asian climate change gaining momentum

Over the past five years Asia has witnessed unprecedented heatwaves, with countries like Bangladesh recording temperatures up to 43.8°C in 2024, leading to nationwide school closures affecting tens of millions of children

Gulf States, China dominate ASEAN Summit with a pledge to strengthen ties

Meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the GCC, China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a joint declaration committing to “chart a unified and collective path towards a peaceful, prosperous and just future.

China shifts from global banker to leading debt collector

Once the primary provider of capital across much of the world, Beijing now finds itself at the receiving end of record repayments, particularly from some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations.

US tariffs: threat or opportunity for ASEAN’s clean energy ambitions?

In April, when US President Donald Trump announced steep import tariffs targeting a swathe of sectors, reigniting concerns among many ASEAN countries that have flourished under the China+1 strategy.

COMMENT: China’s debt-trap diplomacy - lessons from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and beyond

For the nations affected this results in economic dependence on China and often the surrender of strategic assets - or both.

COMMENT: Vying for influence in Southeast Asia – Russia VS America

Although both nations have engaged with the region historically and continue to do so in the present day, their roles, influence, and staying power differ markedly.

Thailand: Southeast Asia’s sleeping tiger

While countries like Indonesia and Vietnam stride forward, Thailand seems to be treading water, encumbered by internal strife, inconsistent foreign policy, and economic inertia.

South Korea, ASEAN launch first joint economic think-tank talks

ASEAN, comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has become an increasingly vital partner for Korea in recent years.

COMMENT: China’s quiet power play in Southeast Asia

COMMENT: Why Asia should not follow the failed European model

Over the past 15 years, Europe’s trade frameworks have faltered, integration has stalled, and a number of its core political and economic ideas have failed under real-world pressure.

ASEAN aligns with Japan, China and South Korea in warning against protectionist risks

Meeting on the sidelines of the recent Asian Development Bank’s annual gathering in Milan, Italy, the officials reiterated their support for a rules-based, free and fair multilateral trading system.

Japanese official warns of wider Asian security impact of Trump tariffs

Former defence minister Itsunori Onodera, speaking in Washington at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, expressed particular concern about the potential impact on Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia welcomes water festivals, but Myanmar’s celebrations damped by earthquake aftermath

Countries across Southeast Asia kicked off annual water festival celebrations on April 13, but in Myanmar, the holiday spirit was muted as the country continues to recover from a powerful earthquake that struck late last month