Commentaries | FULCRUM

Japan-ASEAN’s vision for “Co-Creating” AI

The 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) has approved the Hanoi Declaration on digital cooperation, reaffirming the bloc’s goals and principles as outlined in the 1967 Bangkok Declaration and the ASEAN Charter. (Photo from ASEAN / Facebook)

Amid growing Sino-US rivalry and technological bifurcation, Japan and ASEAN should work together on “co-creating” AI models which are more inclusive.

The Energy Crisis is Hitting Myanmar Hard

Rising fuel, fertiliser and logistics prices are squeezing the Myanmar economy — a dire state compounded by conflict and political risks.

When War Hits the Poor Hardest: What Needs to be Done

The poor in Southeast Asia are bearing the brunt of the economic impacts from the war in the Middle East. Governments will need to refocus priorities to limit harm.

To Lam’s Consolidation of Power: Implications for Vietnam’s Political and Economic Prospects

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To LamGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam takes his oath as Vietnam's President during a National Assembly's session in Hanoi on 7 April 2026. Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary To Lam was elected president by the National Assembly, capping his bid to centralise authority in a nation where senior cadres have traditionally governed collectively. (Photo by -STR / AFP)

To Lam has become Vietnam’s supreme dominant leader. This has both positive and negative implications.

Amid the Geostrategic Uncertainties, Firms Need the Reassurance of Business Continuity

Businesses today especially value stability and deeper economic integration to mitigate risk, and are more worried about growing US economic influence, as reflected in private sector responses to the State of Southeast Asia 2026 Survey.

Sino-Japan Spat: Triple Dilemma Needs Trust-Building ASEAN Response

China has been trying to get Southeast Asian countries to take its side in Beijing’s spat with Japan. ASEAN needs to impress on China that it has a more nuanced view of Japan.

More Than a Legal Battle: The Political Stakes of the Petronas-Sarawak Dispute

A man fills diesel in a lorry at a Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) station, an oil and gas exploration firm established and owned by the government of Sarawak, in Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo island on 20 June 2025 (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP)

Malaysia’s highest court will decide on the dispute between Petronas and the state of Sarawak. But a legal ruling will not obviate the need to manage the political consequences of the dispute.

US War Against Iran Gives Beijing Intelligence Dividend

In this US Navy released handout, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, on 1 March 2026 at Sea. (Photo by US NAVY / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP)

The US-led war against Iran has given Chinese military planners an insight into the challenges that the US would face in a similar conflict in the Indo-Pacific.