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Out of the “Elektabilitas” Mire Comes the Push for Dynastic Power

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (R) and vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka (L), son of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, pose for photographs during the registration for the 2024 election in Jakarta on October 25, 2023. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

The lack of real political difference among the various contenders for the top political job in Indonesia has paved the way for the culture of political dynasties to strengthen. Will this culture win out? The votes will tell.

Saving Myanmar’s Post-coup Economy: Strategic and Pragmatic Solutions

A woman smiles after she received a bag of rice distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) as part of food aid efforts to support residents living in poor communities on the outskirts of Yangon. Myanmar's economy and banking system have been paralysed since the military's power-grab in early February, leading to disaster for millions of people who the World Food Programme has warned could go hungry in the coming months. (Photo by AFP / STR / MYANMAR-COUP-POLITICS-FOOD, FOCUS)

Myanmar’s State Administration Council (SAC) regime has been unable to stem continuous economic woes since the February 2021 coup. However, the situation calls for balanced approach of supporting the democratic movement while advocating for policies that ameliorate the economic condition of Myanmar households.

Can Vietnam Reach Its Offshore Wind Power Goals?

This picture shows fishermen working near the first towers of wind turbines from Vietnam's first wind power plant along a sea coast on the southern coastal province of Bac Lieu. The Bac Lieu wind power plant has a capacity of some 99,2 MW from a total of 62 wind turbines. (Photo by DUY KHOI / AFP)

Vietnam has an impressive slew of offshore wind power projects on the drawing board. But due to various technical and legal constraints, the country is unlikely to hit the 6 gigawatt target by 2030.

China-U.S. High-Level Dialogues: A Welcome Uptick but a Long Road Ahead

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct. 27, 2023. (Photo by Liu Jie / XINHUA / Xinhua via AFP)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent meeting with U.S. President Joseph R. Biden in Washington indicates that high-level exchanges between the two powers are gaining momentum. But there is still a long way to go.

Indonesia’s EV Transformation: A Work in Progress

Creative action members, holding banners, gather to stage demonstration for demand that Hyundai stop its plan to use aluminum produced by new coal power plant production in front of a station of electric vehicles (EV) at Senayan Park in Jakarta, Indonesia on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Eko Siswono Toyudho / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP

The Indonesian government is seeking to ramp up the adoption of electric vehicles on the country’s road. But several challenges remain.

Thailand’s Exposure to Northeast Asia’s Slowdowns

Srettha Thavisin, Thailand's newly-elected 30th Prime Minister, attends Bangkok Post Forum 2023, themed 'Thailand: The Era of Change,' at Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand on October 3, 2023. This forum serves as a platform to discuss the policy frameworks set by the new government, with a spotlight on economic recovery and holistic development across all sectors. (Photo by Matt Hunt / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)

World events have not been kind to Thailand’s economic plans. Besides high oil prices and U.S. interest rates, Thailand faces prolonged slowdowns in its Northeast Asian economic partners. The challenges and opportunities are many, and ultimately hinge on stable democratic leadership.

The Digital Transformation of Indonesia’s Banking Sector: Current Trends and Future Prospects

This Long Read examines the trends and developments in the digital transformation of Indonesia’s banking landscape. These look set to benefit a large swathe of Indonesia’s 270 million population which remains unbanked and underbanked.

Nguyen Phu Trong’s ‘Bamboo Diplomacy’: Legacy in the Making?

US President Joe Biden attends a welcoming ceremony hosted by Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (2L) at the Presidential Palace of Vietnam in Hanoi on September 10, 2023. Biden travels to Vietnam to deepen cooperation between the two nations, in the face of China's growing ambitions in the region. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Vietnam’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is actively promoting “Vietnamese bamboo diplomacy” as his foreign policy legacy. The concept is not altogether new but it has been riding upon Trong’s political ascendency and Vietnam’s geopolitical fortunes.

ASEAN-GCC Summit: The Need to Keep it Going

Leaders pose for a family photo within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 20, 2023. United Arab Emirates Presidential Court / Handout / Anadolu (Photo by United Arab Emirates Presidentia / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)

The recent ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council summit underscores a joint goal to link the two dynamic regions. The key is to keep the bloc-to-bloc interactions going.