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.

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

6 Mar 2026

Navigating Our Future Together? The Philippine Chairmanship in a Year of Strategic Tension

Joanne Lin|Aries A. Arugay

Joanne Lin and Aries Arugay assess the first quarter of the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship and the challenges that still lie ahead.

ASEAN ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting ASEANFocus Philippines

19 Feb 2026

Who Owes the Nation? Youth, Gender and Conscription in Southeast Asia

Evelyn Li Xinruo

Evelyn Li Xinruo explores conscription policies across Southeast Asia and how youth perspectives challenge its legitimacy as a modern tool of defence and nation-building.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Military

26 Jan 2026

The ASEAN Treaty on Extradition: ASEAN’s Commitment to Cross-Border Justice

Yvette Foo

Yvette Foo argues that while the ASEAN Treaty on Extradition is ambiguous in several areas, it represents ASEAN’s commitment towards strengthening regional capacity on crime prevention and criminal justice.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Law

9 Jan 2026

MSMEs in the ASEAN Economic Community: Connecting the Blueprint to Real-World Action

Miguel Jaime Encarnacion

Miguel Jaime Encarnacion examines the goals, challenges and opportunities faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through principal ASEAN economic instruments, assessments, and domestic policies.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Economic Development Regional Cooperation Small and Medium Enterprises

19 Dec 2025

Reading ASEAN’s Sentiments in a Year of Crosswinds

Joanne Lin|Jasmine Yeo

Joanne Lin and Jasmine Yeo show how insights from two major regional surveys in 2025 capture the forces shaping ASEAN’s confidence in a year of shifting global winds.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Economic Development State of Southeast Asia Survey Sustainable Development

11 Dec 2025

A New Deal for the Mekong

Anoulak Kittikhoun

Anoulak Kittikhoun argues that by treating the Mekong as an interconnected system rather than a patchwork of national interests, ASEAN can help transform the river into a model of regional cooperation, sustainability, and shared prosperity.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Mekong River Regional Cooperation

13 Nov 2025

Korea’s New ASEAN Policy: Pragmatic Partnership for a Shared Future

Lee Jaehyon|Ko Youngkyung

Lee Jaehyon and Ko Youngkyung elaborate how Korea’s new ASEAN policy under President Lee Jae-myung emphasises pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation across security, economic, and people-to-people domains.

ASEAN ASEAN Summit ASEANFocus South Korea