Should Southeast Asia Pay Attention to ‘Spheres of Influence’?
William Choong|Joanne Lin
What might the implications of the United States’ actions in Venezuela be for Southeast Asian countries?

William Choong|Joanne Lin
What might the implications of the United States’ actions in Venezuela be for Southeast Asian countries?
Wang Zheng
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.
William Choong|Kei Koga
Chinese reactions to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s comments about Japan's involvement in a Taiwan contingency have an element of political theatre. Beijing is adopting a more sophisticated strategy of isolating Tokyo on the issue.
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Koh Sin Yee
Mainland Chinese student numbers in Malaysian universities have surged recently, driven by affordability, proximity, and cultural familiarity, as well as restrictions in traditional study destinations such as the US.
Ryan Hass
The world is transitioning out of a U.S.-led international order, but there is not yet clarity on the attributes of the next international order that will take its place. This Long Read argues that the period of transition could be turbulent, but it need not be destructive to the upward growth prospects of Southeast Asia.
Archanun Kohpaiboon|Ratchanon Ketramrit
The Trump administration has threatened to levy an additional 40 per cent reciprocal tariffs on transshipments to the US. The logic for doing this is not so clear cut.
Marco Kamiya
Southeast Asian economies and other Asian countries are grappling with tremors in industrial structures due to tariffs and supply chain disruptions. It would be helpful to revisit the Flying Geese model to understand industrial transformation and development.
John Lee
China is best positioned to achieve mass implementation of ‘embodied AI’, i.e., the integration of AI with robotics. This provides significant opportunities for Southeast Asian economies keen to develop real-world applications of AI. However, how far countries will go in adopting China’s AI technology stack will be shaped by US-China strategic competition, which is increasingly being played out in the AI and robotics sectors.
Zhihua Zheng|Jiawei Wang
The dispute over Scarborough Shoal reflects a fragile balance sustained by deterrence and symbolism rather than trust.
Deasy Pane
Despite the US’ Liberation Day tariffs, exports from many countries continue to be sustained. In particular, China’s exports to Southeast Asia continue to grow, thanks to market orientation and state subsidies.