The US’ human and intellectual connections to Southeast Asia are gradually being undermined.
Category Archives: Editor Picks
Piloting Pragmatism: Vietnam’s Aircraft Diplomacy through the COMAC Deal
Vietnam’s tilt towards the use of Chinese-made COMAC aircraft represents more a calculated experiment than a strategic pivot.
Passage Through Hormuz in a Time of War and Peace
Many legal experts have used the aegis of international law to challenge Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The reality, however, is that the application of international law to the situation is more nuanced.
The War Against Iran and the Fragility of Southeast Asia’s Energy Responses
The US-Israeli war against Iran has underscored Southeast Asia’s vulnerability when it comes to energy supplies. But regional countries need to think beyond stopgap measures.
To Lam’s Consolidation of Power: Implications for Vietnam’s Political and Economic Prospects
To Lam has become Vietnam’s supreme dominant leader. This has both positive and negative implications.
Indonesia’s August-September 2025 Mass Arrests: What Do They Reflect?
Anti-government sentiment — especially online — among Indonesia’s youth has not been cowed by intimidation or arrest, but this resistance does not seem to have generated any moves toward more formal political organisation in real life.
Dangers of Delay: US-Philippine Defence Cooperation in 2026
There is robust public support for EDCA and deepening US-Philippines military cooperation, but Washington and Manila must plug gaps in integrated air and missile defence and weapons access policy.
Iran War Holds Trade Implications for Southeast Asia
The economic fallout of the war, coupled with Trump’s self-preservation instincts, could induce a partial climbdown on tariffs—but Section 301 and other tariffs are under way and might endure.
From Long-term Plans to Flagships: Indonesia’s Reordered Development Agenda
Prabowo’s agenda is being driven by flagship programmes focused on nutrition, state-owned enterprises, and cooperatives. These programmes can complement long-term development, but Indonesia should maintain industrial, technological, and green transition priorities.
Implications of the Supreme Court Tariff Ruling on Southeast Asia
The Supreme Court has struck down President Trump’s IEEPA reciprocal tariffs, but the practical outcome on Southeast Asia is likely to be negligible. Further complications arise from his reimposition of tariffs through other means and the potential political fallout in his party.