Over the past three decades, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has significantly expanded its geographical footprint, membership and functional cooperative activities. This Long Read provides a detailed examination of Southeast Asia’s engagement with the organisation.
Category Archives: Long Reads
What is Shaping Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Policies in Southeast Asia?
Over the past couple of years, countries in Southeast Asia, as well as ASEAN as a whole, have made great efforts to formulate guardrails around Artificial Intelligence (AI) design, deployment and usage. This Long Read examines the state of play thus far.
Islam-State Relations under Prabowo: More Carrots and More Sticks, But Less Progressive and Less Civil?
This Long Read examines President Prabowo Subianto’s relationship with the various Islamic organisations in Indonesia. While mainstream groups like Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah continue to be considered strategic allies, there has also been greater tolerance of hardline Islamist groups.
Japan’s Growing Hard-power Profile: Implications for Southeast Asia
Japan is emerging as a consequential hard-power player, expanding its deterrence and defence-industrial capabilities, as well as its regional and global defence networks. As Japan strengthens its military posture, Southeast Asian states are under mounting pressure to navigate the intensifying Tokyo-Beijing rivalry while carefully managing domestic sensitivities.
Southeast Asia Navigates Trumpian Storms: Disruptions, Recalibrations and Adaptations
The 2nd Trump administration has overturned long-standing pillars of US foreign policy, slashing aid, weaponising tariffs, and dismantling multilateral and normative commitments. Southeast Asia – with deep ties to the US economically, strategically, and developmentally – has been particularly vulnerable to these shocks.
The Roots and Persistence of Terengganu’s Hardline Approach to Islamic Law
Since August 2025, Terengganu has implemented stringent shariah-based legislation penalising Muslim men who neglect Friday prayers, allowing for imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to RM3,000. This reflects a broader trend of rigorous shariah enforcement under the PAS-led state government.
Between Rivalry and Rapprochement: The Trials and Trajectory of India-China Relations
After five years of tensions, India–China relations have entered a phase of cautious and fragile re-engagement. However, deeper structural faultlines remain. Meaningful progress will depend on whether Beijing chooses to accommodate India’s strategic interests – but given the power asymmetries between the two countries, this Long Read argues that the prospects are dim.
The JS-SEZ and Johor’s Private Healthcare Sector: Catalysts and Challenges
The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone provides attractive investment opportunities in several sectors. The focus on private healthcare is warranted as Malaysia’s healthcare sector is one of the fastest-growing in the region.
RedNote’s Success and Beijing’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia
The Chinese social media app RedNote has expanded its presence in Southeast Asia, making the region its second-largest market outside mainland China. RedNote, which only has a single global version for both domestic and foreign users, is subject to greater content regulation from the Chinese government than platforms like TikTok and WeChat. Ultimately, RedNote’s ability to grow its regional influence depends on its ability to address regional concerns over whether the app will be exploited by Beijing to propagate its political narratives and influence Southeast Asian netizens.
Decarbonising Food Systems: Opportunities for a Concerned ASEAN
Food system decarbonisation is one of the main pathways chosen by ASEAN Member States to meet their obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement. Concurrent with this is the transformation of food systems from high-emission, carbon energy-intensive systems to low-carbon emission systems with improved resilience, farmer livelihoods and environmental health.