ARTICLES

26 May 2026

To Lam at the Shangri-La Dialogue: When Domestic Ambition Meets Diplomatic Opportunity

Le Hong Hiep

To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, will be speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue later this week. His keynote will likely mark a high point in Hanoi’s foreign policy this year.

24 Feb 2026

Japan’s Growing Hard-power Profile: Implications for Southeast Asia

Hoang Thi Ha|Eugene R.L. Tan

Japan is emerging as a consequential hard-power player, expanding its deterrence and defence-industrial capabilities, as well as its regional and global defence networks. As Japan strengthens its military posture, Southeast Asian states are under mounting pressure to navigate the intensifying Tokyo-Beijing rivalry while carefully managing domestic sensitivities.

Defence Diplomacy Japan Japan-Southeast Asia Relations Security

21 Aug 2025

Lee Jae Myung’s Southeast Asia Policy: Can It Move Beyond Its Vietnam Focus?

Cha Hae Won

South Korea’s ties with Southeast Asia are overly focused on Vietnam. To assert its middle power status, the country needs to diversify its relations and rectify this imbalance.

Diplomacy South Korea Vietnam

13 Mar 2025

Mending Fences: Vietnam and Cambodia’s Diplomatic Reset

Nguyen Khac Giang

The Ho Chi Minh City Summit signals a pragmatic reset in Vietnam-Cambodia relations, driven by economic interests rather than ideology. Successful cooperation would bring the added advantage of enhancing their collective bargaining power with external actors and strategic flexibility as the great power competition intensifies.

Cambodia Diplomacy Hun Manet Laos To Lam Vietnam

21 Jun 2024

New Zealand’s Tilt Towards Southeast Asia: More than Rhetoric?

David Capie

The new New Zealand government has grand plans to step up engagement with Southeast Asia. The question is whether the rhetoric will be matched by actual investments.

ASEAN Diplomacy International Relations New Zealand Southeast Asia

1 Mar 2024

Vietnam-U.S. Security Cooperation Prospects under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Phan Xuan Dung|Hoai Vu

This Long Read explains why despite the recent upgrade in diplomatic status, Vietnam-U.S. security cooperation has not reached a new level.

Diplomacy International Relations Southeast Asia U.S.-Vietnam Relations

7 Feb 2024

India and China’s Volatile New Status Quo

Manoj Kewalramani

Sino-Indian relations have languished in a state of suspended animation for four years. A return to stability in the relationship would require, at the least, sustained high-level engagement.

China Diplomacy India

25 Aug 2023

Biden Skips Jakarta: When (Not) Showing Up Speaks Volumes

William Choong|Sharon Seah

President Biden skipping the East Asia Summit in Jakarta bodes ill for both the optics of the decision and the implications on U.S. engagement in ASEAN, especially as China continues to expand influence and cultivate relations in the region.

ASEAN Diplomacy Indonesia U.S.

It was announced in July that Qin Gang was removed as China's foreign minister and Wang Yi was re-appointed in his stead.

15 Aug 2023

Personnel Changes at China’s Foreign Ministry: Beijing Will Stay the Course on Southeast Asia

Lye Liang Fook

Recent top-level changes at China’s foreign ministry are unlikely to affect Beijing’s foreign policy orientation towards Southeast Asia. The region remains important in light of China’s difficult relationship with the United States and other key countries.

China Diplomacy Southeast Asia

14 Jul 2023

Middle-Power Diplomacy: Decoding Vietnam’s Recent Diplomatic Endeavours

Nguyen Khac Giang

Vietnam’s continued engagement with regional middle powers such as India and South Korea enhances its autonomy in a time of intensified great power competition between China and the U.S.

Diplomacy Vietnam