blackbox

Walking Malaysia’s Oil Shock Tightrope: Assisting Society While Stewarding Deficits

If the war in Iran does not end soon, the Malaysian government must have more arrows in its energy policy quiver.

Indonesia’s 5.61 Per Cent: Growth for the State, Not for the People

Is Indonesia’s growth rate an accurate reflection of the country’s progress?

Between Talks and Tensions: Why the South China Sea Won’t Stabilise in 2026

Progress on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China is in limbo, and likely to stay that way.

Section 301 Investigations on Thailand: Misguided Search for Excess Capacity

Thailand’s excess capacity is not due to policy-induced overproduction as the US claims. Tariffs based on excess capacity would be unfair to Thailand.

The 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award Did Not Fail

The Philippines’ arbitral victory in 2016, though rejected by China, has helped entrench the law of the sea as the region’s principal framework for understanding and contesting maritime claims.

The Lure and Lore of Southeast Asia: Understanding the Dynamics of Soft Power

The strong but varying attractiveness of Southeast Asian countries for their citizens’ work and play provides food for thought on future regional cohesion, identity and development.

To Lam at the Shangri-La Dialogue: When Domestic Ambition Meets Diplomatic Opportunity

To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, will be speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue later this week. His keynote will likely mark a high point in Hanoi’s foreign policy this year.

Using Large Language Models to Disrupt Scammers in Southeast Asia

The adoption of scambaiting Large Language Models (LLM) could give regional governments a decisive edge against scam syndicates, but such Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven anti-scam measures come with their own challenges.

Thai-Cambodian Spat: Private Pathways to State Conflict

The roots of the Thai-Cambodian conflict are said to originate from their territorial dispute and nationalist sentiment. There is another which should be examined: the business ties between Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen.