ARTICLES

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.

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

10 Aug 2022

China’s Think-Tank Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: Idea Exchange or Echo Chamber?

Wang Zheng

China’s intensified efforts to engage with regional think-tanks have not produced the results it has hoped for, mainly because Beijing seems to care more about imposing its own views than a true meeting of the minds.

China Chinese Foreign Policy Diplomacy

8 Aug 2022

55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting: Much Ado About Everything (or Nothing)?

Sharon Seah|Joanne Lin|Melinda Martinus

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings last week occurred at a time when the region was seeing ructions, be it in the Taiwan Strait, Myanmar or the war in Ukraine. ASEAN can boast that it has retained its convening power, but this in itself might be insufficient.

ASEAN ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting China-U.S. Relations Diplomacy Myanmar Ukraine

27 Jul 2022

Frugal Innovations: New Delhi’s Soft Power Potential in ASEAN

Melinda Martinus|Laura Lee

India has the opportunity to boost its soft power in ASEAN, including by promoting and sharing its lauded ‘frugal innovations’ to help low-income Southeast Asians to improve their lives.

ASEAN-India Relations Diplomacy Technology

22 Jul 2022

What’s Behind Vietnam’s ‘Bamboo Diplomacy’ Discourse?

Phan Xuan Dung|To Minh Son

Hanoi has been promoting the concept of ‘bamboo diplomacy’ to define its foreign policy of independence and refusal to take sides in international disputes.

Communist Party of Vietnam Diplomacy International Relations Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

8 Jul 2022

Jokowi’s “Peace Mission” to Europe: Well-intentioned But Fruitless

Ian Storey

Indonesia President Joko Widodo’s visit to Ukraine and Russia was quite remarkable. But the trip achieved little in finding a way out of the current impasse between Kyiv and Moscow.

Armed Conflict Diplomacy Indonesia Russia Ukraine

4 Jul 2022

Has ASEAN Reached the Point of Diminishing Returns with Myanmar?

Sharon Seah|Moe Thuzar

The State Administration Council has cleverly gamed the ASEAN system for its own ends and dragged out the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. It is time for ASEAN to pack more punch into the office of the Special Envoy to Myanmar.

ASEAN Diplomacy International Relations Myanmar

22 Jun 2022

China’s Pragmatic Party Diplomacy in Southeast Asia

Wang Zheng

The Chinese Communist Party’s outreach to political parties in Southeast Asia, regardless of ideology, underscores the pragmatism in President Xi Jinping’s plan for regional influence.

China China-Southeast Asia relations Diplomacy