ARTICLES

28 Jun 2022

ASEAN and ADMM: Climbing Out of a Deep Hole

Joanne Lin

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting has bagged modest achievements in past years. But it will take a lot more to assert ASEAN’s central role in a region where external powers have grabbed the initiative in forming minilaterals outside the ASEAN ecosystem.

13 Jun 2022

Shangri-La Dialogue 2022: The Paradox of Peace and Power

Hoang Thi Ha

The duel between the ‘rule of law’ and the ‘right of might’ took centre-stage as the Shangri-La Dialogue resumed under the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Southeast Asian countries found it a hard sell to promote cooperative security and ASEAN’s broad-based mechanisms against tough talk by representatives of the major powers.

Defence Indo-Pacfic International Relations Security

7 Jun 2022

Scaling the Shangri-La Dialogue

William Choong

In this episode, William Choong, managing editor of Fulcrum, talks to James Crabtree, executive director of International Institute for Strategic Studies (Asia), the London-headquartered think tank which runs the annual Shangri-La Dialogue.

China Defence Dialogues at Fulcrum Diplomacy Indo-Pacfic U.S. Foreign Policy

3 Jun 2022

‘Doomed to Fail’: Chinese Media Dismisses the U.S.’s ASEAN Diplomacy

Wang Zheng

Chinese state media have negatively portrayed Washington’s recent moves to court ASEAN diplomatically and economically, but the one-sided narrative that Beijing trots out belies the region’s careful reception of both great powers amidst their growing rivalry.

ASEAN-China Relations China-U.S. Relations Diplomacy Indo-Pacfic

23 Feb 2022

“France’s Third Path” for the Indo-Pacific? Credentials and Challenges

Eric Frécon

Considering itself part of the Indo-Pacific on the grounds of history and overseas territories, France has released its Indo-Pacific strategy to guide its international action in this region.

Diplomacy E.U. Indo-Pacfic

13 Oct 2021

‘Global Britain’ and Southeast Asia: Progress and Prospects

Ian Storey|Hoang Thi Ha

Southeast Asia is crucial to the United Kingdom’s (UK) ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific. It has achieved notable progress in strengthening its diplomatic, economic and security engagement with the region.

ASEAN Asean Trade AUKUS Indo-Pacfic

4 Oct 2021

The Quad and the Indo-Pacific: Going Slow to Go Further

William Choong

In recent years, the Quad has gained momentum in response to growing Chinese assertiveness. But a lower key strategy is advised to allay regional concerns that ASEAN’s centrality will be undermined by a minilateral arrangement helmed by external powers.

ASEAN Australia India Indo-Pacfic Japan Quad U.S. U.S. Foreign Policy

13 Sep 2021

Ideology Versus Pragmatism: Vietnam’s Statecraft towards China and America

Huynh Tam Sang|Pham Do An

China is seeking to drive a wedge between Hanoi and Washington, even as Vietnam-US relations continue to flourish. Hence, Vietnam’s striking a balance between its ideological cohesiveness with China and pragmatic ties with the US is being put to the test.

China Indo-Pacfic U.S. U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vaccine Diplomacy Vietnam

27 Aug 2021

Biden After Afghanistan: Hitting the Buffers in Southeast Asia

Robert Sutter

The Biden Administration has sought to re-engage with Southeast Asia, but there are limits to how much traction it can get in the region.

ASEAN Indo-Pacfic U.S. Foreign Policy

3 Aug 2021

Team Biden: A Southeast Asia Reset

Victor Ha

Compared to China, the Biden Administration has been slow off the blocks in the game of winning friends and influencing people in Southeast Asia. It has its work cut out for it.

ASEAN ASEAN-China Relations China-U.S. Relations Indo-Pacfic U.S.