Indonesia’s recent announcement that it was considering buying the China-made J-10 fighter raises more questions than answers.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Trump’s Whirlwind ASEAN Visit: Any Substance Behind the Show?
Beyond the pomp and pageantry of Trump’s visit to Southeast Asia, some aspects of America’s policies towards the region have become clearer.
Restoring Multilateralism: Can Regional Cooperation Arrangements Fill the Void?
With the US backing out of multilateral trade deals, there is a possibility that the EU could link up with two expansive networks – the CPTPP and RCEP – to form a mega trading bloc.
Trump’s Tariffs Will Withstand the Supreme Court
A decades-long governance evolution in the US has vested the Executive Branch with tremendous power when it comes to trade.
Conservative and Religious: Filipino Evangelicals Go MAGA
American conservatism and evangelicalism have found their way into the Philippines.
Towards a New Flying Geese Model in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian economies and other Asian countries are grappling with tremors in industrial structures due to tariffs and supply chain disruptions. It would be helpful to revisit the Flying Geese model to understand industrial transformation and development.
All That Money Cannot Buy: Patterns of Satisfaction in Malaysia’s Happiness Index
Malaysia’s Happiness Index shows that ploughing resources into health, family life, education and faith yields dividends.
Malaysia’s Participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla: Solidarity or Pageantry?
Malaysia made a spectacle of its support for the GSF, revealing the tension between moral leadership and moral theatre in the country’s Palestine policy.
Post-Sri Mulyani, Indonesia’s Unrestrained Growth Ambitions Carry Serious Risks
Sri Mulyani’s successor Purbaya has already signalled a greater willingness to support Prabowo’s populist programmes — in ways that could potentially over-expand credit, raise debt burdens, and erode investor confidence.
Advancing RCEP Integration: Forging a More Resilient and Inclusive Economic Future
The potential of RCEP can only be unlocked when micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which constitute the backbone of the ASEAN economies, can navigate and utilise its provisions with ease.