ARTICLES

6 Apr 2021

International Law Matters in the South China Sea

Aristyo Rizka Darmawan

China is trying to rewrite international law in the South China Sea.

17 Mar 2021

Great Expectations: the Limits of Chinese Vaccine Diplomacy in Southeast Asia

Khairulanwar Zaini

China’s vaccine diplomacy in Southeast Asia may earn Beijing some goodwill, but strategic gains will be limited.

China COVID-19 Health South China Sea Vaccine Diplomacy

17 Mar 2021

The Milk Tea Alliance Confronts China’s Weak Brew

Quinton Temby

Social media movements such as the Milk Tea Alliance are tapping into discontent with the regional decline of democracy and fears about the rise of China as a hegemonic power.

Anti-Chinese Sentiment China Milk Tea Alliance Myanmar Social Media Southeast Asia

4 Mar 2021

Cambodia Embraces China’s Controversial Confucius Institutes

Chheang Vannarith

China’s Confucius Institutes have been vilified in the West, but they have gained much traction in Cambodia. This is not surprising, given Cambodia is one of China's closest allies in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia Cambodia-China Relations China Education

11 Feb 2021

Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year or “China’s New Year”? The Rise of (China’s) Identity Politics

Leo Suryadinata

In multi-ethnic Southeast Asia, the term “Lunar New Year” is more befitting than “Chinese New Year”. The traditional celebration has always transcended ethnicity and national identity.

ASEAN-China Relations China Identity Politics Southeast Asia

Artists perform on stage at the end of the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit

10 Feb 2021

State of Southeast Asia Survey: Hopes Brighten Over US Amid Covid-19 Gloom

Terence Chong

Covid-19 is the biggest challenge facing Southeast Asia even as regional confidence in the new Biden Administration grows, according to the latest State of Southeast Asia Survey published by the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute.

ASEAN China Southeast Asia U.S.

28 Jan 2021

Singapore in the Eyes of the Chinese: Amity and Likability

Jian Qiang Kwek|Xiaojun Li|Adam Y. Liu

A recent survey shows that Chinese people are much more favourably disposed towards Singapore than other rich nations such as Australia, Japan and the United States.

China China-Singapore Relations China-U.S. Relations Singapore

Chinese workers building the first rail line linking China to Laos

18 Jan 2021

Official Chinese Lending: Why the Easy Money is Drying Up

Muhammad Saad Siddiqui

A new study suggests that official Chinese lending has dropped in recent years. This stems from lessons learnt after a decade of mistakes in overseas lending. Despite the decline, the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative shows no signs of slowing.

Belt and Road Initiative China Southeast Asia

A medical worker shows a syringe with the Sinovac Biotech vaccine

11 Jan 2021

Wang Yi’s African Tour: What it Means for Southeast Asia

Lye Liang Fook

Wang Yi’s first overseas trip this year to Africa has implications for Southeast Asia.

Africa Belt and Road Initiative China COVID-19

A Chinese worker carries materials for the first rail line linking China to Laos

8 Jan 2021

Seeing Through Smoke: Why the Debt-Trap Narrative Is a Distraction

Muhammad Saad Siddiqui

The Belt and Road Initiative is many things, but there is little evidence that it is a debt trap. Observers should dispense with this grand narrative and focus on how to engage with the nuances of Chinese lending.

Belt and Road Initiative Cambodia China Laos