Commentaries | FULCRUM

Thailand’s Passport to AI Controversy

Thailand has bold plans for AI adoption. But the plan is built on shaky foundations.

Cambodia’s Ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and ASEAN’s Maritime Cohesion

Cambodia is late to the party in ratifying the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), but better late than never.

Vietnam-Myanmar Relations: Cautious Normalisation Under Constraint

The diplomatic thaw since August springs from Hanoi’s and Naypidaw’s strategic calculations. Both sides are willing to stabilise relations — without making irreversible commitments.

Between Interdependence and Diversification: Southeast Asia’s Room for Manoeuvre in Critical Minerals

China and the US appear to be pressurising countries to choose between their respective critical mineral and technology supply chains. The choice, however, is a false one.

Vietnam’s Aggressive School Mergers Acutely Test To Lam’s Governance Model

Vietnam’s massive school consolidation aims to concentrate resources and streamline a fragmented system through centralised digital management. If classroom quality fails to improve or worsens, that would undermine the rationale for this grand project.

As Trump and Xi Prepare to Meet, What Should Southeast Asia be Watching?

The upcoming Trump-Xi summit will not settle any “Grand Bargain”, but what happens to the year-long US-China trade truce will have implications for Southeast Asia.

How the Lianyungang Forum Packages China’s Public-Security Diplomacy

The Lianyungang Forum, which increasingly draws Southeast Asian participation, seeks to validate China’s state-centric approach to public-security governance and diffuse Chinese public-security technologies.

The Return of the Trump Tariffs: How Will Southeast Asian Firms Respond?

The Trump administration’s dogged determination to reintroduce tariffs on Southeast Asia should spur long-run measures to diversify markets and reduce reliance on the US.

Distrusting Beijing, Encountering ‘Everyday China’ in the Philippines

Younger Filipinos seem to have more nuanced attitudes towards China and encounter its soft power in different ways than their parents’ generation, but this does not mean a sea change has occurred.