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A New Chapter in ASEAN-Japan Relations

Kunihiko Hirabayashi

ASEANFocus is privileged to feature the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Japan Centre, Dr Kunihiko Hirabayashi. He provides a perspective on the ASEAN-Japan relationship after 50 years, and how Japan intends to substantiate the new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.

Changing Political Landscapes and Leadership Transitions in Southeast Asia

Alexander R. Arifianto|Aries A. Arugay|Chheang Vannarith|Le Hong Hiep|Francis E. Hutchinson|Napon Jatusripitak|Eugene Tan

Electoral politics have been heating up in Southeast Asia after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines and Malaysia elected new leaders in 2022. Vietnam underwent a major leadership change after President Nguyen Xuan Phuc tendered his resignation. Voters in Thailand and Cambodia, headed to the ballot box to elect their representatives, while Singapore voted for a new president this year. 2024 will be a fascinating year for Indonesia as the largest democracy in the region will hold its presidential election. ASEANFocus invites experts to assess the changing political landscape and leadership transitions in Southeast Asia, and its implications for society and regional stability.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the annual U.S.-ASEAN Summit via video link from the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC. According to the White House, Biden talked about efforts "to end the COVID-19 pandemic, address the climate crisis, promote economic growth, and address a range of other regional challenges and opportunities.

Hard Truths in the Strategic Conversation between the United States and Southeast Asia

Lee Sue-Ann

Amid intensifying Sino-US competition, the strategic conversation between the United States and Southeast Asia is in danger of being stuck in a rut. While messages from the region's leaders to their American counterparts have been received, the latter see these refrains as hackneyed. It is high time for Southeast Asia to internalise the shifts in Uncle Sam's approach to the region and proceed accordingly.

Snapshot of video covering the laying of the first stone for the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) Yasmin, on 5 December 2021.

What the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) Yasmin Case Says about Religious Freedom in Indonesia

Alamsyah M. Djafar|A'an Suryana

After waiting for 16 years, the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) Yasmin congregation in Indonesia can finally worship peacefully after relocating to a new church building. This Long Read argues that the forced relocation of houses of worship for minority faiths and succumbing to the majoritarian principle only infringes upon the rights of minorities.