A key reason why some pro-Russia disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine have found resonance in Southeast Asia is that they have successfully tapped into latent anti-U.S. and anti-West sentiments.
Author Archives: blackbox
ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance: Putting Money Where the Mouth Is
An ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance is a significant move for ASEAN. But it does not come without challenges.
Singapore and the United States: Speaking Hard Truths as a Zhengyou
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent visit to the United States highlights a unique dynamic in the bilateral relationship: Singapore’s ability to speak frankly and candidly to its superpower partner.
New Chinese Migrants in Chiang Mai: Parallel Paths for Social Interaction and Cultural Adjustment
While descendants of older Chinese migrants in Thailand consider themselves Thai, new Chinese migrants tend to struggle with assimilating, due partly to negative stereotypes about foreign Chinese. This Long Read explores the parallel communities these new Chinese migrants have forged to address their needs for social integration.
Bahasa Melayu as ASEAN’s Second Language: Sekali Lagi Tak Boleh
Malaysia has again proposed making Malay a working language of ASEAN, but this proposal is likely to be a non-starter as ASEAN wrestles with more pressing crises.
Will Vietnam Be Able to Wean Itself Off Russian Arms?
Vietnam is finding it increasingly hard to continue its policy of buying military equipment from Russia. Hanoi is aware of the rationale for securing weapons from other countries, but doing so will not be easy.
Supply Chain Resilience and the Trumped-up Case for Reshoring
Regional or country-specific shocks are more likely to cause relocations to third countries than reshoring, driven by changes to competitiveness.
Myanmar’s Post-coup Electricity Woes: Stalled Power Plans, Shattered Public Trust
Two years ago, and even a year ago in the aftermath of the 1 February 2021 coup, Yangon was not suffering severe blackouts. While there were sporadic electricity cuts for a few hours a day in some of its townships, electricity supply was more stable and predictable than ten or fifteen years earlier. This experience has left city dwellers wondering what accounts for the severe power cuts now.
The Race to Produce Covid-19 Vaccines in Southeast Asia
Several Southeast Asian countries are racing to produce home-grown Covid-19 vaccines, to reduce dependence on the vagaries of external sources. Local vaccine manufacturers face significant challenges as well as stiff competition. Nonetheless, the technology acquired and lessons learnt are helpful to prepare the region for future pandemics.
Vietnam’s Mediascape Amid the War in Ukraine: Between Method and Mayhem
The animated and polarised discourse on Vietnam’s social media on the Russia-Ukraine war is in stark contrast to the disciplined and scripted coverage in Vietnam’s mainstream media, reflecting the strong appetite among Vietnamese netizens for alternative sources of information.