ARTICLES

30 Mar 2026

The Importance of Preserving Physical ‘Third Places’ in Southeast Asia

Gauri Sasitharan

Gauri Sasitharan traces the evolution and decline of physical third places in Southeast Asia and the consequences for communities in the region.

25 Mar 2026

Southeast Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Edging Closer in an Era of Geopolitical Churn

Ian Storey

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.

ASEAN China Russia Southeast Asia

23 Mar 2026

Are Electric Vehicles a Green Window of Opportunity for ASEAN Countries?

Martin Schröder

EV-related industries hold out substantial promise, but ASEAN countries must be clear-eyed about the opportunities, complexities, and risks.

ASEAN Electric Vehicles

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions at a budget committee session of the House of Councillors in Parliament in Tokyo on 16 March 2026. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

20 Mar 2026

China’s Retaliation Against Japan and the Implications for Southeast Asia

Lye Liang Fook

Lye Liang Fook argues that Beijing’s retaliatory measures against Japan could increase pressure on ASEAN countries, making it important for ASEAN to continue emphasising restraint and peaceful dialogue.

ASEAN ASEANFocus China Japan Taiwan

A Vietnamese cryptocurrency investor looking at the latest Bitcoin values on a smartphone in Hanoi on 12 February 2026. (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)

17 Mar 2026

From Speculation to Disclosure: Steering Crypto to Create Value in Southeast Asia

David Lam

Requiring disclosures is an essential step for building integrity and unlocking the potential of blockchain technology.

ASEAN Cryptocurrency Economy

Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone; President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto; Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet; Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanah Bolkiah and President of Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr attend the 47th ASEAN Summit to amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) in Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 26 October 2025. (Photo by Farid Bin Tajuddin / Anadolu via AFP)

13 Mar 2026

ASEAN Services Liberalisation: Big Promises, Modest Progress

Tham Siew Yean

ASEAN’s slow growth in services trade stems from persistent reservation and diluted liberalisation. Member states need to consolidate the region’s rules-based framework — and facilitate services trade.

ASEAN Asean Trade Economic Integration

10 Mar 2026

From Production Platforms to the Techno-Electric Stack

Marco Kamiya

China and the US are building new industrial structures known as techno-electric stacks. Southeast Asian economies need to think less about choosing sides and more about shaping and owning a piece of these stacks.

ASEAN Digital Economy Technology

9 Mar 2026

Enhancing ASEAN–EU Cooperation on Subsea Cable Security

Barbora Valockova

ASEAN and the EU could transform their shared subsea cable vulnerabilities and complementary security approaches into practical resilience through closer interregional cooperation that eases the pressures of great power competition.

ASEAN European Union