The Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea has ruled in favour of the Philippines. But China may adopt a hardline response. It could increase its naval presence in the South China Sea or commence reclamation work at Scarborough Shoal.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Duterte’s Aquino Legacies
The ruling by the Arbitration Tribunal on the South China Sea and the U.S.-Philippine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement are two foreign policy legacies left by the Aquino administration. They will be stumbling blocks to the Duterte administration if it seeks to revise its foreign policy with China and the US.
Myanmar Forum 2016: Key Takeaways
The Myanmar Forum 2016 highlighted the imperatives for the NLD government to restore trust and create conditions that are conducive to doing business in Myanmar. The newly-elected parliament need to repeal and revise outdated laws and develop policies relevant to the country’s current needs.
Duterte, Jokowi and ASEAN
The political ascensions of Jokowi and Duterte is a significant challenge to ASEAN unity and centrality. As political outsiders with minimal international experience, their foreign policies are nationalistic and unilateral – focusing more on supporting the administration’s domestic infrastructure and nation-building agenda.
Cooperation Necessary to Eradicate the Haze
The forest fires in Indonesia is a multilateral and transboundary issue that requires the cooperation of ASEAN in developing and implementing measures to prevent environmental and economic costs to affected countries. Indonesia needs to mitigate and assuage fears of a repeat of the 2015 haze incident.
Transboundary Haze Pollution in ASEAN is a Shared Responsibility at all Levels
Indonesia’s non-ratification on ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2014 has hindered the effectiveness of tackling the recurring haze problem. The decentralised governance structure and weak central coordination among its agencies make implementation at the ground level difficult.